


Broken Mind Fractured Soul

by Sensiblytainted



Series: Broken Mind [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Child Abuse, Deaf Character, Demonic Possession, Eventual Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Gender Issues, Good Draco Malfoy, Identity Issues, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Mentor Severus Snape, Molestation, Past Child Abuse, Secret Identity, Slow Build Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Slytherin Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 03:17:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 44
Words: 370,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8873683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sensiblytainted/pseuds/Sensiblytainted
Summary: Harry Potter watched his mother die when he was fifteen months old, a piece of Voldemort's soul invaded his own, Vernon abused him, Petunia tore him to shreds with her hateful words, and Lockhart molested him throughout Second-year. After all that trauma, is it any wonder Harry created multiple personalities to deal with it all? In Harry's third year, Severus Snape decides to do something about it. He gives Harry therapy in secret, and this opens Harry up to a friendship with Neville Longbottom, another victim of Lockhart's perversions, and Draco Malfoy who can understand Harry's Slytherin alter better than anyone else.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Français available: [Les Morceaux de son âme](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10895556) by [Orin_RL](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orin_RL/pseuds/Orin_RL)



**Chapter 1: Prologue**

  


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or any other character found in Rowling's books.

**A/N:** This is in response to the challenge issued by EmySabath, the author of the _wonderful_ fiction  Me, Myself, and I. If you haven't read it, please go and do so.

**A/N2:** Harry will have a psychological condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) aka Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD).

 

**Broken Mind, Fractured Soul**

There is more to Harry Potter than what meets the eye. For most of the Wizarding World, he is the Savior; the one who defeated the Dark Lord. Others see him as a celebrity, a star to follow to fame. A few hate him as their enemy, their downfall. A couple of people see a growing teen when they look at Harry Potter. A few others see a friend.

Everyone sees something different when they looked on the one who bears the lightening shaped scar.

Is it any wonder that Harry is as divided on the inside as he is on the outside?

**xXxXxXx**

Godric's Hollow was a beautiful home full of warm woods and furniture in soft red and gold. It reminded most people of gentle fires and autumn leaves, happy things. Inside this simple home lived a young couple with their baby. Outside the night was cold and carved pumpkins sat on doorsteps.

James Potter with messy black hair and round glasses sat on their couch in the living room. Photos were scattered around him on the cushions and he went through them with a big grin. They had taken the pictures just that afternoon. It had been one of the best days of his life. He and Lily had dressed up as pirates while their little son Harry wore a costume of a kitten.

He laughed, brown eyes warm with delight as he looked over at his wife. "I like this one."

Lily took the picture and giggled. In it, she was cradling Harry. The baby was lying on his back with both arms up to bat at a Halloween streamer that hung haphazardly in the doorway. She could almost hear her son's beautiful laugh as the boy in the picture smiled and tried to grab the wiggling thing.

"I still think this one is the best." Lily bent over, careful not to disturb the sleeping baby on her shoulder, and lifted a photo from the couch cushion. In this one James was sitting a the table, a bite of what looked like pudding halfway to his mouth when all of a sudden a handful of mashed potatoes came flying into the picture and landed right above James' right eye.

"He has good aim, doesn't he?" James smiled fondly.

"Just goes to show, you can't deny a child sweets on Halloween." She kissed him warmly, his large hand tangled in her long red hair. "I'm going to put him in his crib. I'll be right back down."

"Better be quick," James answered huskily, watching his young wife leave the room.

She blew him a kiss over her shoulder and carried their baby upstairs to the nursery. Harry didn't stir as his mother placed him softly into his crib or when she pulled his soft cotton blankets around him. Lily watched her son sleep peacefully for a few moments before bending and placing a warm kiss to his black satin hair.

Suddenly, she tensed. Something was wrong. She stood upright and tense. After a moment of silence, Lily crept over to the nursery door. She could just make out the sound of curses being thrown and sick laughter before it grew quiet once more. Her green eyes widened. Somehow they had been found out and their wards taken down without them even knowing it! Panicked, she locked the door before rushing over to the crib. Harry was jostled awake by her quick movements and began to cry.

Lily shushed him, swirling her wand around him as she muttered under her breath. One minute, two. She was almost done. The nursery door flew open and screams from downstairs ripped into the room causing Harry to cry louder. The Dark Lord laughed, red eyes bright with pleasure. He was a grotesque figure: tall and skinny, black robes seemingly floating around his form, skin a waxy, inhumane white.

Lily clutched Harry to her and glared past her tears as she listened to James being tortured.

"I thought your highly esteemed husband would put up a better fight. My loyal followers had him down in a short ten minutes."

"How many are down there?" she spat furiously. "Fifty?"

The monster laughed. "No. More like twelve. Maybe I overdid it? I hope there is enough of him to go around. They all want to have some fun."

"Bastard. You won't win," Lily promised. Her husband's shrieks cut off ominously as soon as she finished speaking. She curled her shoulders, trying to hide her screaming baby in her arms.

A long, twisted white wand lifted slowly. "Crucio," Voldemort hissed.

The wizard watched, smiling sweetly as the woman convulsed in screaming agony, but still refused to release her child. The boy's cries became more frantic, green eyes wild with fear as his mother squeezed and shook him. He flicked his wand and the pain stopped; leaving her gasping, huddled over her child.

Stepping close so he could tower over his victims, Voldemort spoke gently, "I'm feeling generous. I'll let you live so you can spread word of my power. Go. Run to your master. I'm sure Albus will comfort you. Be gone."

"No," Lily rasped, still shaking with the pain. Long hair stuck to her sweat-soaked face and spilled around her. "I won't let you kill Harry."

"The boy will die tonight. You don't have to die with him. Leave, foolish woman. You can always have more,” he persuaded, reaching down a spidery hand.

"No! Please!" Lily was sobbing now, the pain in her body eating at the shock in her mind. "Not Harry!"

“Ver well,” Voldemort's hand retreated and the wand returned. "Avada Kadava." he said almost lazily.

Lily went limp, her eyes fading until they were blank and empty. The baby clutched at her chest, looked into her eyes, and fell silent. His pale little face tilted up and looked at the wizard in fear.

Laughing, the Dark Lord repeated the words of death, and green poisoned light shot through the air. At the same time, the death spell Lily had finished casting mere seconds before the Dark Lord had entered the room activated. The white of the sacrificial magic was joined by the blue magic thrown reflexively by the powerful wizarding child. Green slammed into the two other spells with a huge concussion as the rejected chaotic magic was flung back at the caster, ripping him violently from his body.

But a sliver of green had gotten through the white and blue shield and licked at the child's head, cutting it. The innocent boy screamed in pain worse as that insidious darkness settled within him, binding to his soul. Repulsed, Harry rejected that part of him and cut it away from his conscious mind, fracturing off a piece of his own soul to distance it.

As Godric's Hollow crumbled from the explosion of power within its walls, Harry lay unconscious, his bleeding head resting on his dead mother's chest. Deep inside, vile darkness melded with the shard of rejected soul and became something new, something Other. It was small compared to the rest of Harry's mind, and so was locked away in a deep slumber buried in his subconscious.

**xXxXxXx**

Petunia Dursley was dismayed when she found the sleeping orphan on her doorstep, but she was a mother and couldn't turn away the child, even if he had come from the sister she hated. Vernon accepted her decision and they both reasoned that the child may not be tainted with the freakishness of his parents. Petunia, after all, had remained pure despite her tainted sister. Harry could turn out to be the same.

So for over two years, Petunia treated Harry tolerantly. She always gave her son attention first, but Harry was fed and a second crib was placed in Dudley's room. She bathed both boys and gave them toys. Most often she would leave Harry to his own devices while she played with her son, but she didn't actively try to hurt Harry.

The green-eyed child was cheerful and happy. He didn't seem to mind the lack of attention and played happily by himself. There were some days where he'd cry for his mother and father, but Petunia would patiently explain that his parents were dead. As time passed, those days of tears became less and less as Harry began to understand that his parents would never come back.

This grudging acceptance by the Dursleys was destroyed, however, when Harry was four years old. The day was bad to begin with. Dudley was throwing tantrums over every little thing all morning. Petunia was at her wits end. By nap time, she was exhausted. Dudley screamed, not wanting to take a nap, but for the first time Petunia ignored him. Harry watched from his cot across the room as Dudley threw his favorite teddy out the window in a rage. The boy then screamed and cried louder than ever.

No matter how tired she was, Petunia couldn't ignore Dudley when he was so very upset and miserable. She sighed deeply before making her way back to the children's room. She opened the door just as Dudley's screams turned into laughter. His teddy was floating in the air and slowly dropped into the blonde toddler's arms. Petunia's eyes flashed to Harry and saw the boy frowning with deep concentration. Relief flooded through her. Thank god it wasn't her Dudley doing that! But her relief was quickly swallowed by fear and anger.

She swooped over and slapped Harry hard across the face. "You little freak! Don't you dare taint Dudley with that vile freakishness!"

Harry, shocked, afraid, hurt, began crying.

Petunia was further enraged by the child's fear and yanked him from his bed. Harry's screams sharpened as his shoulder dislocated. Yelling hysterically about Harry's vileness and freakishness, she searched the house frantically for a place to put him. Then she saw the cupboard under the stairs. Petunia threw it open and tossed the boy inside, locking it firmly.

Harry cried for hours, begging to be let out of the dark. His shoulder hurt so much! He was sorry! Please! But nothing changed and he was left to cower in the small, dirty space. Curling up exhausted in the corner, the four-year-old clutched at his hotly throbbing shoulder. Desperate and afraid, his magic seeped into the wound, healing it. Harry passed out.

When Vernon got home that night, he found all of the things they bought for Harry burning in the back yard. He was shocked and then angry as his sobbing wife told him what had happened earlier that day. He didn't wake when the cupboard was yanked open, but blinked his green eyes groggily open when Vernon grabbed him by his hair and yanked him out.

"Boy! I'll teach you not to be a freak in this house, if it's the last thing I do!" And he lashed out with his belt.

The toddler screamed as it struck him, leaving an angry red welt behind. The belt fell more than a dozen times, lashing his back, his sides, his legs, and once his face. The pain and fear became too much, and he flung his consciousness away, leaving behind all the pain and fear.

"You'll be good, Boy! Or I'll kick you out of this house and let you die in the gutter!" Vernon raged and flung the small child back into the dark cupboard.

**xXxXxXx**

When Harry woke up in the cupboard the next day, he did not remember Vernon coming home. He'd blocked those memories, but as Vernon dragged him out of the corner every night to beat him, had him beg and promise to be good, that locked away part grew. Throughout the following months he wasn't fed very much and was often taken out to be punished for being a freak. That part of him became more and more alive as it fed on Harry's locked away pain and fear.

Harry never remembered anything that happened to Boy. He didn't remember being beaten with the belt every night for two weeks. He didn't remember being locked away for hours and hours until he wet and dirtied himself. Didn't remember Petunia dragging him outside every couple days to viciously hose off the stench of his filthy body.

All Harry knew was that he lived in the cupboard now. His room with Dudley was gone. He wasn't allowed to eat with the family, and when he was given food it was always burnt or old. He was made to clean out the cupboard and drag his cot inside. It took him all day without once stopping to eat and drink to drag all the luggage and junk that had been stored in there, but he also found old toys and he happily hid them away so he could play while he was locked away.

**xXxXxXx**

Things didn't change until Christmas of his fifth year. Petunia decided that he might as well be good for something. She marched over to the cupboard and threw it open. Harry had heard her coming, so he had already hidden away the children's book he had seen Dudley putting in the trash.

She glared at him with pure, unrelenting hatred, saying, "Boy, get out here and help me."

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." Harry answered, ducking his head so he wouldn't have to see her hate-filled face.

"You can't help like that, idiot! Go get cleaned up and quickly!"

Harry rushed to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later all the grime and dust was scrubbed from his skin. There was no sign of the abuse. Before Boy went back to sleep, he always used magic to heal himself so Harry wouldn't hurt. Petunia glared at this evidence the boy was still using that vile power, but chose not to say anything about it. Really, it was a good thing for them that the child was never marked to horribly. She wouldn't want someone getting the wrong idea, after all.

"Go over there and stir the cake batter."

Harry rushed to do as she said, but his hope was soon killed.

“You're disgusting, you know that, boy?” Petunia said coldly, watching him as he worked. “Can't do anything right. Just like your filthy parents. Died just to get away from you most likely. Don't spill the batter, freak!” She shrieked. Harry's hands were shaking as big tears rolled down his cheeks, but he did his best to steady the bowl. “Can't do a bloody thing right! The least you can do is listen, boy! You're no good, bastard father couldn't listen and you're just like him! Hold that bowl and stir! Your mother would be disgusted with you! Pathetic muling worm! Don't you dare cry! It's your own fault, you filthy little brat!”

Again, faced with something he couldn't handle, Harry did what he had learned to do. He ran away, leaving his body behind to endure this new torture. Magic deafened him, protecting him from the horrible words, but the side-effect made him sensitive to the emotions of those around him. Attuned, he was able to learn to do things that pleased his aunt, even just a little.

He learned to cook and clean with perfection. Learned to garden and serve his aunt's tea parties, and slowly this piece of him grew to think he was a she, just like their aunt. She took the name Rose, enjoying tending the beautiful flowers in aunt's garden. She never spoke, being deaf, which only pleased her aunt more, but she did learn to read lips, otherwise she'd have been punished for not obeying.

**xXxXxXx**

So Harry grew up believing his family neglected and ignored him, locking him away and feeding him rarely. In truth, Rose ate every day at breakfast and with Petunia during tea. This wasn't enough, however, as their shared body used large amounts of energy to heal when Vernon came home needing to let off steam.

Oblivious of what was going on at home, the trauma locked away, his other personalities hidden, most of Harry's young memories revolved around school. He loved being in the light and around people who would give him attention. Dudley was a class ahead of him and he could be happy and playful and smart without fear of being punished for it. The playground was a different matter and so Harry often found a reason to stay inside with the teachers to avoid being hurt by his bigger, older cousin.

He was the smartest boy in the class, absorbing everything like a hungry sponge. When he heard talk of pushing him up a grade, Harry quickly began to hide his progress and give wrong answers. He was terrified of being forced to be in the same class as Dudley.

**xXxXxXx**

Time passed; Harry and Rose slowly growing up, but Boy didn't seem to age or grow more mature. He remained a helpless child of five, caught in a world of never ending punishments and pain. Ignorant of this, Harry was fairly happy, but that slowly changed as Harry neared his eighth birthday.

Harry watched as Dudley received detentions and parent conferences with his teachers because of his spoiled behavior and violent temper. He shouldn't have known what Dudley was being punished for, but he had spied on the conferences to hear what they had to say about his cousin. This made him thoughtful.

He knew that Dudley was bad. Petunia and Vernon were quick to tell him the proper way to behave, and Harry tried really hard to obey them, but Dudley broke all those rules and was rewarded for it. At home, the boy screamed and hit his parents, and they would just scold him mildly while giving him what he demanded.

For the first time in his life, he began to get angry. He began to realize that being locked in the cupboard wasn't fair or right, and began hating Dudley for escaping punishments for bad behavior, for being cared for and doted on even though he didn't deserve it. He hated his cousin for being loved when he was neglected.

It all boiled to a head. Harry and Dudley were on their way home from school when Dudley pushed him to the ground for a laugh. Harry rolled over and pounced on his cousin, hitting him in the head and chest like a wild thing.

“I hate you! I hate you!” he screamed and burst into tears.

Petunia had seen them from the window and ran out, pulling her nephew off of her son. She was too furious to even speak as she dragged Harry inside and pushed him into the cupboard.

Harry sat huddled in the dark, telling himself that Dudley deserved it, all the while shaking in fear. His consciousness snapped as soon as he heard his uncle's car pull up into the driveway.

Boy huddled in on himself, whimpering, knowing horrific pain was coming as he listened to Aunt's high-pitched voice explain what had happened. Heavy foot steps came to the cupboard door, and Boy cowered flat to the ground, urine soaking his pants. The door flew open.

"You ugly worm," he hissed, enraged. “I'll teach you never to lay a hand on Dudley again.” He pulled the limp child out from the dark space and into the hallway. The large man lifted his foot and brought it down with all his strength again and again.

Ribs shattered, both of Harry's forearms snapped, his cheek bone fractured, his eyes took damage, his shins splintered. Boy howled in agony. Eventually even Boy couldn't handle it and was thrown violently into unconsciousness.

Harry didn't wake for three days. When he did, he was healed, but not even Boy's healing magic could fix the delicate tissues in his eyes and he would forever need glasses afterward. He never remembered being angry with Dudley, and he never again felt hate or deep anger over how he was treated. Instead, those dark emotions were siphoned off. The darkness sleeping deep within Harry, deeper than Boy or Rose, left there that long ago night when his mother was killed fed on it and began to slowly grow stronger.

**xXxXxXx**

Years later, Harry sat in his cupboard. Tired of the darkness, he cocked his head to listen carefully. Petunia was in the kitchen doing who knew what and Dudley was in the living room playing video games. Vernon was still at work. Feeling safe, Harry carefully cracked open the cupboard door to allow light in. Then he turned back around and uncovered the stash of broken toys and books he had hidden under the floorboards of his cot.

Decided, he grabbed a few mangled army men and sat so that he could spread them out on the cot. He carefully set seven on one side and five on the other. He maneuvered them carefully, imagining himself as the leader of the smaller squadron:

He looked over the hilly terrain and back down at the report one of his scouts had given him. The enemy's number was seven and they were spread out in a semicircle facing his troops. It would be difficult, but he knew he could get his men to the other side. Ordering two off to play as decoy, Harry led his squad through the gap and then stood and had his team shoot them in the back. Harry grinned and threw up his arms triumphantly. Victory!

Mail hit the floor in the living room and, quick as thought, Harry had his toys back under the cot and the door shut before his Aunt walked passed to retrieve the mail.

"Dudley! Your report card from school is here!" she called excitedly.

Dudley always went to summer school. The fat, blond boy always did well on his homework, but his tests were abysmal. Some teachers passed him anyway, other didn't. His parents and the school had come to believe the boy had test anxiety and that was the cause for the discrepancy in the grades. Dudley played this for all he was worth. Harry remembered what his cousin had said to the principle and his parents:

"I know all the answers, really! I study really hard and always get perfects on my homework, but when I sit in front of the test, it just all goes away. I'm really sorry!"

Harry snorted with a sneer. His cousin was _always_ blank. The reason his homework was perfect was because he made Harry do it for him. Shaking his head, Harry sighed. It's not like he really minded. Petunia let him stay out of his cupboard to do homework, so he didn't mind the extra work. Plus, he was bored with what he was learning in his class and Dudley's work was harder. Not by much, but it was enough.

"Dudley-kins! Look! You got a C!" Petunia's high-pitched voice yelled proudly. "Oh, I'm so proud of you, Dudley! Why don't we go shopping tomorrow to celebrate?"

"Good. I want a new jacket, and there's this new game Piers and I want to play."

Harry sighed and went back to daydreaming. His head snapped up though when the door opened and Aunt ordered him to get started on dinner. Rose crawled out and gave Aunt a sweet smile before heading to the kitchen. She pulled on her apron and tied it competently behind her back before heading to the fridge.

Petunia watched the small boy brush his wild black hair from his eyes and set to making dinner. His slender hands delicately cut the vegetables and began making the meat sauces while it baked in the oven. She frowned. There was just something different about the boy when he was cooking. The way he moved, his smile; they weren't the same as when he was getting ready for school or working on his homework. Shaking her head, she went about straightening the living room. It's not like she really cared.

**xXxXxXx**

The next day Rose was folding laundry while her family ate the breakfast she cooked. She sensed their satisfaction and smiled happily. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a thick letter slip through the mail slot. She knew it was Sunday. Mail didn't come on Sunday. That must mean it was important.

Harry found himself at the front door with an envelope in his hand. It read: _Harry Potter, the cupboard under the stairs_. It was for him! He had never gotten a letter before, and it was Sunday so it must be really important. Grinning, he moved to open it when Uncle's bellow startled him into dropping it.

"What's taking so long, Boy!"

Harry could only assume Uncle had woken him to get whatever had come in through the mail slot and he had sleepily obeyed, only now waking up, but he didn't want to give the letter to his uncle. He knew that if he did, he'd never get to see what it was about, so he threw the envelope into the cupboard as he passed and walked into the kitchen.

"Sorry, Uncle Vernon. There wasn't anything there."

Vernon went purple and flew from his chair. Harry's head snapped up in horror and Boy came rushing Out. He cowered, hands covering his head as he hunched over his knees. Already keening that he was sorry and that he wouldn't do it ever again. Vernon cussed and yelled as he beat the terrorized child with the rolling pin that had been left out on the counter.

"Vernon, you're going to be late. You have that meeting the manager scheduled for this morning, remember?" Petunia said indifferently after a few minutes.

"I'll be back, Boy!" Vernon growled and stomped over to kiss Petunia's cheek before grabbing his suit jacket and storming from the house.

Petunia turned her nose up, not wanting to look at the disgusting bleeding boy. "Go to your cupboard."

"I'm sorry, so sorry," Boy whimpered and gasped, head spinning with the pain. He crawled to the cupboard and collapsed inside. Crying helplessly, his magic gently thrummed through him easing the sharp pain and allowing him to drift back.

Harry opened his eyes. He was in the dark of the cupboard. With a wide smile, he patted around for the envelope. His fingers brushed it and he listened hard. He couldn't hear Petunia or Dudley. Carefully, he cracked the cupboard door for light and opened the letter. He had just read the first line when the door was yanked all the way open. Dudley stood there with a wicked grin. He had wanted to make Harry come play Harry Hunting, but he was even more delighted to find Harry doing something he shouldn't.

"Mum!" he yelled on the top of his lungs. "The freak has a letter! He lied to Dad!"

Petunia came in from the garden and stormed up to the cupboard. Her son was blocking the small doorway and looked to be struggling. He was fighting Harry over the letter, but Harry wasn't going to give it up this time, but his rage was being bled away as it formed, leaving him only mildly angry, desperate, and frustrated.

"Dudley, let go!" he cried, trying to yank his baggy sleeve from his cousin's sweaty grasp. "It's mine. Let me read it, please!"

"Move, Dudley!" Petunia ordered and the fat boy reluctantly moved away. She reached in and dragged a squirming Harry from the cupboard. "What are you doing, boy? You think its funny reading other people's mail?"

"No!" Harry denied, still clutching the open letter. "It was addressed to me, see?"

She read the envelope and froze. She knew that handwriting. It had been on the letter that was left with Harry's basket. Paling, she literally tore the letter from the boy's hand and backhanded him hard. Boy whimpered and cowered at her feet, crying as he begged for forgiveness.

"Get in your cupboard!" she screamed. "I'll have Vernon deal with you!"

**xXxXxXx**

Harry pouted and plotted in the dark cupboard. Why did she take the letter and lock him in here again? It was his! He should be able to read it. Maybe she had thrown the pieces away. At night, he could sneak out and find them. It wouldn't take long to piece them together and read the message. Smiling in anticipation, he waited for night to fall, wondering who could have written him.

Harry did sneak out that night, but there were no pieces of the letter in the trash. Petunia had burned them. Disappointed, he crept back to his cupboard, but in the morning more letters arrived. Each day he would remember seeing more and trying to sneak one into his cupboard, but his uncle always stopped him and threw him in the cupboard, leaving him there for the rest of the day.

What really happened was Vernon would beat Boy unconscious before throwing him limp and broken into the dark storage space. He destroyed all the letters and even took off from work so he could be there to stop any that came. Petunia was in hysterics and Dudley was no longer laughing and was growing more afraid as his father grew more and more angry. Finally, Vernon snapped and told them they were leaving to a vacation cabin by the ocean.

"No bloody letters or bird will find us there!" he swore.

Harry was mostly ignored during the trip and was glad for it. He was tired and figured the worry over the letters was making him sleep poorly at night. Really, his fatigue was due to the massive amounts of energy Boy was using that week keeping them alive.

It took almost ten hours to get where they were going and Vernon didn't stop once. Not even when Petunia said she had to go to the bathroom. Harry was shocked. Usually Vernon did all he could to make his 'Pet' happy. He darkly wondered what exactly they were so desperate to hide from him. What could be in those letters?

These thoughts plagued Harry, and he couldn't sleep that night. The storm raging outside didn't help matters, and he stared moodily up at the ceiling of the falling apart cabin Vernon had drug them all too. He was the first to feel the ground tremble, and he rolled onto his stomach, excitement racing through his veins as he watched the front door. Something was coming. But how? The cabin was sitting on an island right off the coast. The landlord said there were no other boats beside the one they had used to get here.

Despite what was or wasn't possible, the door shook under the force of whatever was trying to get in. Dudley leapt off the couch he had been forced to sleep on, screaming. Vernon and Petunia ran into the room, both in their night clothes. Harry stared stupidly at the huge hunting rifle his uncle held in his meaty fists. The person knocking ignored Vernon's threats of being armed and just knocked the door clean off its hinges.

Everyone fell silent as Hagrid placed the door back in the doorway and introduced himself. Harry stared in wonder at the huge man who had just insulted Dudley and tossed the riffle he'd twisted into a knot into a corner of the room. The battered square package handed to Harry with a big grin was enough to jerk him out of his shock. Trembling, his pale hands reached up to take it.

"This is for me?" he whispered, overcome with too many emotions to identify. "Today's really my birthday?"

"Of course 'tis," Hagrid said gruffly. "Didn'tcha know yer own birthday?"

Harry mutely shook his head. He was too busy opening his first ever present to notice the giant turning a murderous glare on his family. Inside was a chocolate cake with the letters 'Happy Birthday Harry'. He looked up into the giants face and smiled. "Thank you, umm… Hagrid. But… can I ask… who are you?"

"That's right. I haven't told ya naught but my name." Hagrid beamed down at the small boy. "I'm Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. You're a wizard, Harry! Just like your parents before you. And it's high time you come to Hogwarts to learn magic!"

Harry was still in a haze as he was taken to London and then Diagon Alley. He had never even dreamed that something so wonderful could happen to him, but his happy mood vanished when they entered the Leaky Cauldron and everyone began staring and murmuring over him. He didn't like all that focused attention. Didn't like the expectant, almost hungry looks the people in the room and throughout the Diagon Alley were shooting at him.

It was then he snapped out of the shocked daze he had been in since Hagrid knocked down the door. He realized that the wizarding world was going to be far from perfect and he better watch out or he could get in serious trouble, especially since he didn't know what to expect. So Harry set out to learn as fast as he could. This included trying to figure out just what Hagrid was up to at Gringotts.

At Madam Malkin's, he met a blond boy also going to Hogwarts. Harry spoke little, but he tried to gather as much information as he could by keeping the boy talking. It was hard to hide how much he didn't know, but by the time he was done with the fitting Harry came to understand that wizards were not united, that there were different factions just like in the real world, and a sport the boy called Quidditch was very popular. He was rather pleased with how much he had learned in just a few minutes. He learned even more interesting things while getting his wand, but the most important thing he learned was that he was famous. His parents weren't drunk drivers, they were murdered by an evil wizard named Voldemort.

…

Harry spent the next month back at the Dursley's thinking. Petunia and Vernon left him alone for the most part, actually moving him up to Dudley's second bedroom and locking him in there until the start of school. They didn't even mention Hedwig who flew in and out the bedroom window whenever she wanted. Dudley was so scared of Harry now that he didn't even complain when he was forced to give up his second room.

The peace couldn't last, of course. The night before Harry was going to be taken to school, Vernon stomped up the stairs and unlocked the door. Harry sat worriedly on the bed as Uncle stepped in.

"I'm warning you, Boy," Vernon said slowly with deliberate malice. Harry stared wide-eyed, and Boy trembled deep inside as he prepared to take over. The man put his face right into Harry's, grabbing the boy by his loose collar. "You talk about us to any of those freaks and you'll regret it. Do I make myself clear? Not one damn word, Boy. Not one."

"Yes, Uncle Vernon," Harry whispered fearfully. In his memory, he hadn't ever seen his uncle so frightening. Vernon grunted and backed off, reaching for his belt.

Boy forced Harry back and took his place. Every slap of the leather belt raised welts that burned like fire. It went on for an eternity, Vernon calmly and deliberately lashing the weapon down again and again. It lasted over an hour, until Boy felt flayed and limp with exhaustion.

“Not. A. Word,” Vernon growled, dropping the beaten and broken boy, slamming the door shut behind him.

**End Prologue.**

**A/N:** Next chapter will cover Harry's first year at Hogwarts. 

After second year, the story style will become narration instead of summary.

The real story starts in Harry's third year.

 

 


	2. Sorcerer's Stone

**A/N:** After second year, the story style will become narration instead of summary. The real story starts in Harry's third year.

**Sorcerer's Stone**

The next morning not even Boy could heal Harry of all his bruises. The eleven-year-old assumed he had slept poorly. He remembered his uncle's warning, after all. It still rang in his ears. Who wouldn't sleep poorly after that? Vernon shouldn't have bothered. Harry was going to think about the Dursleys as little as possible!

Harry smirked at his cousin as he stepped out of the car with all his new things. Dudley whimpered. They were going to take him to the hospital to get the tail removed after dropping Harry off. His smirk fell, however, when Vernon practically ran him over, pealing out of the parking lot.

Still, thinking about his cousin's coming operation and hoping it was as painful as possible, Harry was rather happy as he pushed his things to the right platform and followed a redheaded family onto the train. When the youngest red-headed boy eventually found him alone in the compartment, Harry employed the same method of learning as he had with the blond in the robe shop.

He quickly realized that the redhead came from the opposite faction. As Ron described the Hogwart's Houses and that all the Slytherins were evil, he remembered the blond proudly saying he was going to be in Slytherin. He also remembered him calling Hagrid a servant.

After Draco barged into the compartment, Harry knew that he didn't want to be Slytherin. He quickly defended Ron and chose his side, but it made him uncomfortable because he knew he had more of the traits of that house than he had of any other.

He wasn't loyal to anyone, didn't like hard work, he liked learning okay but he wasn't in love with it, and he wasn't brave. He was sneaky, had to be to get along at the Dursleys, and he had dreams to get away from there no matter the cost as soon as possible, but it was clear Slytherin wasn't a good thing to be according to most people, and Malfoy was petty and mean. He didn't want to live with that at school when he'd just gotten away from it at home.

Anxious, he fell silent for the rest of the ride, listening absently as the redhead talked on. The stress continued to rise as they rode the boat and came face-to-face with ghosts. When the talking hat finally called his name – Harry Potter! - he thought he might get sick.

And when the hat whispered, _“You'd do well in Slytherin...”_ Harry snapped. In fact, it felt like something inside him broke, like a sharp change in air pressure, and the stress was gone after a wave of vertigo. He felt confident and straightened from his slump.

The Hat was eerily silent before it shouted, "Gryffindor!"

Unknown to Harry, he was now missing parts of his past. All his worry on the train and his more vicious moments when he had used cunning to get revenge on his cousin and the neighborhood bullies were erased and stored in a whole new personality. He didn't even remember that the hat had wanted him in Slytherin. He grinned broadly and happily ran over to Ron at the lion's table. He was a Gryffindor now.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas observed his surroundings, knowing he was no longer a part of Harry. He stood in a bedroom that had an empty bookcase, a black reading chair, a bed with deep-green sheets, and a full length mirror. He stepped up to it and looked at his reflection.

He wore Slytherin robes that hung open to reveal a high quality white silk shirt and perfectly tailored black slacks. On his feet were perfectly polished black dress boots. He had straight, black, chin-length hair that was hooked behind his ears. His face was slightly more angular than Harry's, nearly identical, and paler, but what really set him apart were his eyes. They seemed to shift between pale blue and silver. Satisfied, he stalked to the door and threw it open. He knew about the others, and he wanted to see them.

He found himself stepping into what looked like a neutral sitting room; the carpet and stone walls were white while the single sofa was black. There were three other doors. Silas went to the door closest to his own. It was a plain, white and square, where as his was a dark mahogany with a half-circle top. He opened the white door and found Rose.

There was a large window that allowed golden sunlight into the room. Plants and herbs of all kinds sat before it, obviously lovingly tended. Cookbooks sat on a small bookcase. A full-length silver mirror stood beside it and on the other side was a white plush chair. An apron hung on a silver hook by the door. Gardening tools sat on a small table by the plants and the window.

The eleven-year-old girl was curled in her bed, smiling slightly as she dreamed. Her bedspread was light pink with dark red roses. The walls were tinted a light sky blue and the carpet was white, matching the central sitting room. Everything was spotlessly clean, including Rose herself.

The little girl had waist-length blonde hair in a loose braid that lay beside her. She had rose petal lips and a white frilly dress that fell to her knees. White dress shoes sat neatly on the floor by the bed. Her golden head turned to face him and kind blue eyes opened sleepily to look at him. Confusion ran across her sweet face.

"I'm Silas," he told her. "I'm going to be keeping track of you and making sure Harry doesn't do anything stupid. Go back to sleep."

She nodded again and closed her eyes.

Silas shut her door softly behind him despite knowing the girl was deaf. The next door was an exact replica of the cupboard door back at Number 4. He sneered at it and opened it, hunching over so he could get in. The ugly cot was pushed up against the far wall. On it lay a five-year-old boy.

The child's eyes snapped open. They were black, full of tears, despair, and pain. Silas ignored the kid's whimpered apologies and pleas not to hurt him as he looked over the starved, naked body. Very little skin was free from bruises, cuts, burns, welts, and whip marks. He shuddered in horror and quickly left the room, shutting the door firmly behind him.

There was only one more door. It was something you'd find in a castle; made of thick gray stone with black iron bands. Silas pulled the door open carefully. The room inside was dark. Shadows clung to everything. At the very back, he could just make out the form of a black-shrouded man lying about waist high on a stone slab. All Silas could see were the man's white hands, which had vicious black nails, that lay folded on what Silas guessed was the man's stomach, and the man's white cadaverous face. Not even the man's lips or cheeks or eyelids had color.

It took Silas a moment to realize that it was the man's black-as-night hair that spilled to the floor in a puddle of liquid darkness that was shimmering in the light from the doorway. Had the man been standing, Silas was certain his hair would reach his feet. The man didn't stir, didn't breathe. He lay as still as a corpse. Silas shut the door without ever going in.

**xXxXxXx**

As Harry began the school term, made his first friends, and met the teachers, he didn't notice that he was learning much slower than he was used to in muggle school, didn't notice that he wasn't cynical or cunning anymore. He definitely wasn't aware of Silas learning behind his eyes; plotting, planning, watching. Didn't know that Silas took over at night when Harry thought he was sleeping to sneak stealthily to the library to study for a few hours, or that the bookshelf in Silas's soul room was slowly filling and expanding.

It was Silas who kept a watch on the others and noticed that though the corpse-like man and Boy were undisturbed by the long time without coming Out, Rose was not adapting as well. He began to hear her sleeping fitfully. So every other week, once Harry fell asleep, he crept from the dormitory and out to the green houses. There he slid back and let Rose come Out to gleefully tend to the plants under the light of the moon.

No one noticed Harry's strange behavior. Not even he was aware of his lapses since Silas carefully made sure that they only came Out while their Host slept and got him back into bed so that their shared body got at least five hours sleep. Harry was truly happy at school despite Professor Snape (who Silas found rather funny, but disapproved of the man's dark wit when it was being aimed at _his_ Harry) and Quidditch.

At first, Harry was shocked and embarrassed to be on the team, but Ron's enthusiasm and his own quickly growing love of flying soon made him just as excited about playing. He was even having fun trying to figure out the mystery of the vault and the three-headed dog with Ron and eventually Hermione. (Silas was ever grateful to the brunette. He was heartily sick of the annoying redhead. Hermione wasn't perfect, but at least she was intelligent.)

Of course things couldn't stay wonderful forever. In February, after being caught out of bed after handing the illegal dragon to Charlie Weasley, Harry, Ron, and Draco were given a detention with Hagrid. Harry was not too disappointed. He liked Hagrid, and the Forbidden Forest wasn't so scary. At least, that's what he thought.

Everything changed after he came face-to-face with Voldemort. Seeing the dead unicorn made him realize that he wasn't in the middle of a game. This was real and serious. What if Snape really was after the Stone? What if he was working together with the Dark Lord? Why else was Voldemort near Hogwarts just when a stone that granted immortality was in residence? Harry knew Voldemort was waiting; waiting for his follower to bring the Stone to him. It was definitely not fun anymore.

Silas had been indifferent to the mystery his Host had been playing with, but after seeing that dead unicorn, he knew with terrible certainty that their lives depended on find out as much as they could about Voldemort and the Stone. If Voldemort ever came back into power, the first one on his hit list would most likely be them.

He tried to help, giving Harry hunches and such, but the boy really was stubborn. He even tried to ease Harry's growing anxiety that Voldemort would come crashing into the school at any second to murder him, but nothing was working. Rose became restless faster and Boy could sometimes be heard crying within the cupboard. Silas was grim. Something had to give, and it did, but not in a way that even he expected.

**xXxXxXx**

It was nearing the end of June and Harry's exams were finally over, but Harry was as tense as ever. When he finally figured out what was bugging him, he ran to Hagrid's. To everyone's horror, they realized that Hagrid had given the betrayer the key to Fluffy. Ron and Hermione raced with him to tell a teacher, to get help.

Unbelievably, they were informed that Dumbledore was gone, so they told their Head of House. Harry could hardly believe McGonagall didn't see the same threat he did and almost fainted with shock when she brushed them off as unimportant. She was going to ignore the threat!

If no one else would, he had to protect the Stone. Even if that meant getting to it first and stopping Voldemort before it was too late. But he couldn't! He was just a kid! How could he expect himself to protect anything? Shaking, trembling, he was torn with his desire to protect the stone and his certainty of not being good enough to do anything.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas sighed in relief as the tension snapped. He walked into the sitting room to check on the others and was shocked to see Harry curled up on the couch, deeply asleep. He would have heard Rose or Boy leaving, so he knew it wasn't them. He looked around and stared at the new wide open door. It was solid oak. He strode over and looked inside. There was no one there, but Silas knew just by looking at the room who the new person was.

The room had a tall four poster bed with red sheets. A dueling platform with a dummy stood to the corner of the room along with a small bookshelf holding every book they knew on Defense Against the Dark Arts. Silas sighed with exasperation and went back to sit by the sleeping teen. His light eyes rested on Harry's face.

"You just released your Gryffindor into battle, didn't you?" he asked the small boy and sighed. "We are going to die."

**xXxXxXx**

The newest personality led Ron and Hermione down the trapdoor. He used their strengths, leading them carefully. He was confident and on fire with excitement. There was no way he couldn't get to the end of this puzzle and save the Stone. With a smile of anticipation, he stepped on the chess board and followed Ron's instructions, trusting in him.

It was hard, but he made the right decision to leave Ron behind. Hermione followed him. After the puzzle was solved, he knew he couldn't risk her getting hurt. He had to protect her and this last door was far too dangerous for her to cross. Gently, he explained that she had to go back to Ron and get help. He'd go on alone.

Drinking the potion, he strode forward through the fire and entered the chamber holding the Stone. He was shocked to find the weak, stuttering Professor. Although, to give him some credit, Quirrell wasn't stuttering or weak now. He kept the man talking as he maneuvered himself slowly into the room and toward the center where he was sure the Stone was. Quirrell eventually noticed and tied him up in magical rope.

Carefully, he worked his wand around to his back and began whispering the counter spell while he kept the stupid bastard talking. Eventually, as Quirrell muttered over the Mirror of Erised, the ropes came undone. He maneuvered closer to the mirror, hoping to get a peek. Maybe he could use it to see where the Stone was since that was what he wanted more than anything.

"Use the boy… use him…" a voice hissed.

"Come here, Potter!" Quirrell snapped, not even caring that he wasn't tied up anymore.

Since it was his goal to look in the mirror anyway, he stepped in front of the glass. Quirrell stood at his side, demanding to know what he was seeing. He saw himself holding the Stone and, with a wink, putting it in his front pocket, but as he was concentrating on this, he was spouting off some stuff about Quidditch captain or something. He almost grinned as he felt the weight of the Stone in his pocket for real.

Quirrell threw him away from the mirror, frustrated. He let himself be tossed aside and began creeping back toward the exit as the stupid Professor wailed over the puzzle of the mirror.

The hissing voice spoke just as he was almost free, "The boy lies. Let me speak to him."

He stood, glaring defiantly as Quirrell unwrapped his turban and revealed the face of Voldemort on the back of his naked skull. Red eyes burned at him, pushed at him to feel terror, but he didn't. He wasn't capable of fear. Instead, he smiled cockily and said, "Not too pretty, are you?"

The face smiled, but it was an expression of rage and hatred. "You see what I've become then, Harry Potter? I'm a shade, forced to possess lowly servants to survive. But no more. Not once you give me the Stone that lies in your pocket."

He grinned, saying, "I don't think so," and began stepping backward toward the exit, never taking his eyes off the foul creature before him.

"Don't be a fool," snarled the face. "Join me, or you'll meet the same end as your parents! They died begging me for mercy!"

"LIAR!" he yelled furiously.

Quirrell was walking backward, toward him, the red-eyed grotesque face coming closer. "How touching,” Voldemort hissed. "I always value bravery. Yes, boy, your parents were brave. I killed your father first, and he put up a courageous fight, but your mother needn't have died. She could have walked away, but chose instead to die to protect you. Now give me the Stone, unless you want her to have died in vain!"

"NEVER!" he screamed. _How dare their murderer talk of them!_ , he thought as he threw a Stupefy toward the bastard.

Quirrell dodged and began firing back, but the new Harry was nimble and dodged them all easily. Two of his curses almost hit the bastard, but then Quirrell's spells grew more powerful. The Gryffindor was sweating as he maneuvered. It was time to make a break for it. He tried to get closer to the door and, in that second of distraction, Quirrell was able to get his wand. He dodged two more spells, but Quirrell hit him with a Petrificus Totalus.

"Now you will give me the Stone," Voldemort said, triumphant, and Quirrell's hand reached for him.

The Gryffindor personality didn't know how to cope with being helpless and began to retreat.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas, of course, had seen this coming, but it was too late to back out now. Running wasn't an option. Voldemort couldn't get the Stone or their lives would be in danger. Especially because the new kid was spouting off, making him angrier. Boy had no magic except for healing, and he didn't even do that on purpose. Rose couldn't do magic either. Her only talent was Empathy. Harry couldn't handle the situation, and even if he could, he didn't know any more about fighting than the new personality did.

That left Silas, and although he knew a lot, probably more than the new brat, he didn't think he could get them out of this. Not with Voldemort literally breathing in their face. Decided, he ran to the heavy stone and iron door and threw it open. The corpse man lay still as death, the shadows writhed around him with dark power.

"Wake up," he said grimly, heart pounding. "You're needed."

Eyes opened. There was no iris or pupil. They were like clear glass windows into Hell, red fire burning within them. The demon sat up, then stood slowly. The long liquid black hair rippled like heat waves. A hungry smile twisted the man-of-death's lips before he disappeared, pushing Out.

Silas shuddered.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry's emerald eyes widened and green fire seemed to burn behind them as the new personality took over. Magic surged through his small body and pure unfiltered rage twisted his face as he screamed and drove his hand forward. The blow struck Quirrell on the chest and the man howled as the clothes and skin began to slowly disintegrate beneath the boy's touch.

The Professor fell back, Voldemort screaming for him to grab the Stone.

The boy stood loosely and slashed out with his hand. Black, hungry magic followed the gesture, and Quirrell fell screaming as more of his body was eaten by Death. The boy's demonic smile widened even as the anger in his eyes burned hotter. Three more swipes and Quirrell was on the ground, no longer able to scream.

The boy lifted his arms and roared, power lashing wildly, now without a target.

Quirrell's body crumbled into ash. The dark shade of Voldemort fled. It took all his power to do so. The boy behind him was like a vacuum, trying to suck him in. The mirror shattered, the walls cracked, the floor shook, and still he wasn't satisfied. He wanted to DESTROY it all. The ceiling began to crumble, but before the debris could hit the floor, it crumbled and dissolving into nothing. The whole world would be made into NOTHING!

**xXxXxXx**

"We have to get him up! He's the Host! He'll immediately go Out if we wake him!" Silas yelled at the new teen. The room was quaking under the surge of power being drained from the soul they all shared. They had to act fast or they'd die, either from magical exhaustion or from the castle collapsing on their heads.

"Hay! Wake up!" the Gryffindor yelled into Harry's ear while shaking him.

Silas slapped at smaller boy's cheeks hard enough to sting the skin. Rose came tumbling fearfully from her room. She looked at them wildly and gestured around them. Silas shook his head and gestured to Harry and then pointed up. She nodded and began shaking him too. Boy began screaming hysterically from the cupboard. All of them together were enough to force Harry awake.

The boy disappeared and they heard (except for Rose) the forbidding stone door slam shut. Silence descended on the room. Rose swayed tiredly, and Silas walked her to her bed, laying her down so she could go back to sleep. By the time he returned to the sitting room, Boy's crying was getting softer. He sighed and sat tiredly across from the new teen. The Gryffindor looked to be the same age as him. He had bright blue eyes and wild auburn hair. He was tall and muscular, but not bulky.

Silas sneered, "Well, whoever you are, you nearly got us killed."

"I'm Gabriel, and it worked out alright," he said haughtily, crossing his arms over his chest. "What did you expect me to do? And who are you anyway?"

"I'm Silas. What you should have done was go to Professor Snape with your suspicions! Not charged in there with those brats! We could have been killed!"

"Snape was a suspect! I couldn't go to him, and those 'brats' held their own! More than you could do!"

"Oh, shut up," Silas growled. Angrily hooking his hair behind his ear, he stalked into his room and slammed the door.

Gabriel glared for a moment before stomping into his own room.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke slowly. It came as a huge surprise to find himself in the infirmary with Headmaster Dumbledore sitting beside him. Late morning light flooded the windows. He thought back. The last thing he remembered was being refused by McGonagall. Dumbledore saw his confusion and laughed.

"Sir… What happened?"

"Not to worry, Harry. Quirrell doesn't have the Stone," the ancient wizard assured him.

Harry wasn't sure what to say to that, so he stayed quiet. Dumbledore went on complimenting him, Ron, and Hermione on their success past each one of the teacher's defenses. He gave enough details for Harry to vaguely understand what each obstacle had been.

"I think the last was rather brilliant. One of my better ideas."

Harry stared into the pleased twinkling eyes and frowned, "I don't understand."

"I used the Mirror of Erised," he explained. "Only someone who wanted to find the Stone, but not use it could get it."

Harry nodded absently, suddenly felling lightheaded. Dumbledore's eyes sharpened as Harry's head tilted forward as if he were about to faint, but then he was sitting up again and holding his head gingerly. "Sorry, Sir," Silas said meekly, trying to act like Harry. "I have a bit of a headache."

And it was true. It was impossible for him or any of the others to force themselves Out. Only Harry voluntarily retreating allowed them Out, but Silas's need was great and gave him strength. Even so, had Harry not been so confused, disorientated, and uncomfortable under Dumbledore's gaze, he wouldn't have been able to do it.

"That is to be expected." Dumbledore smiled, relaxing. "You've been through a grave ordeal."

"How long was I asleep?"

"Three days. All these tokens around you are from your friends. They will be most pleased to see you again."

"But what about the Stone?"

"Ah, the Stone. I must apologize to you, Harry. I should never have left. No sooner had I reached London than it became clear to me that the place I should be was the one I had just left. I arrived just in time too."

Silas let that slide, though he felt a sneer trying to twist his lips. Damn manipulative bastard. He bet the old man had done it on purpose to test them, had risked their lives to see how they would fair against Voldemort. He quickly changed the subject. "So you have the Stone?" he tried to sound glad.

"It was decided that it would be best to destroy the Stone, so that it could never be used for the purpose it had almost been put to. Had you not been there, of course."

Silas smiled tightly. "I have a question."

"I shall answer your questions, unless I have a very good reason not to, in which case I beg you'll forgive me. I shall not, of course, lie."

There's no of course about it, Silas thought, but asked anyway. "Voldemort said that he only killed my mother because she tried to stop him from killing me. But why would he want to kill me in the first place?"

Dumbledore sighed very deeply. "Alas, the first thing you ask me, I cannot tell you. Not today. Not now. You will know, one day… put it from you mind for now, Harry. When you are older… I know you hate to hear this… When you are ready, you will know."

Okay, Silas definitely hated this man. Without a doubt. He had only one more thing he wanted to do. "Sir. About Professor Snape… I must admit I had thought it was him," and he faded back.

Harry came awake hearing, "Ah… Professor Snape. I believe you felt it was he who was cursing your broom during that one Quidditch game, yes? In truth, it was Quirrell, as you realize I'm sure. Professor Snape was trying to save you by saying the counter curse. And he had been suspicious of Quirrell all along. That was why your Professor kept such a close eye on him. I give you my word, Harry. I trust Professor Snape implicitly. Never doubt him."

"Oh... ummm... " Harry must have blacked out for a bit. He was feeling tired.

"And for me, I beg you to forgive his harsh attitude. It stems from the feelings of dislike between him and your father, James. Not very much unlike how you and Mr. Malfoy feel for one another. There were always hurtful pranks and insults between them. Then one day your father did something Severus could never forgive."

"What?" Harry asked, wide-eyed.

"James saved his life." Dumbledore smiled as Harry blinked in surprise. "Funny, the way people's minds work, isn't it? Professor Snape couldn't bear being in your father's debt… I do believe he worked so hard to protect you this year because he felt that would make him and your father even. Then he could go back to hating your father's memory in peace."

Harry tried to understand this, but it made his head pound so he stopped. Dumbledore left soon after that. Thankfully, most of Harry's questions were later answered by Ron and Hermione. They told him all about their adventure. Hermione told him not to fret about the memory loss (though they were both a little disappointed not to know what happened in the chamber with the Stone). It was no surprise really considering the trauma he went through. She said that Madam Pomfrey told them he had suffered severe magical drain from his confrontation with Quirrell, and it was from Hermione that he learned of the Stone's destruction and Nicolas' upcoming and accepted death.

Overall, he wasn't too disappointed he couldn't remember. What he remembered of Voldemort from their confrontation in the woods was plenty for him. He slept deeply that night and on into the middle of the next day. When he woke up, he was feeling much better and talked Madam Pomfrey into letting him go to the Leaving Feast.

He was glad he did even though he did blush hotly under all the cheers when the Slytherin banners turned into Gryffindor red and gold after Dumbledore handed out the year's last points. In fact, surrounded by cheering friends (the first he had ever had), it was the best night of his life. It was better than winning at Quidditch or Christmas, and he would never forget that moment.

**End Year One.**

**A/N:** Next chapter will cover Harry's second year at Hogwarts. After second year, the story style will become narration instead of summary. **The real story starts in Harry's third year.**

**A/N:** Just to head off confusion, when other personalities are Out, Harry's body doesn't physically change at all. The way the other personalities are described physically in the soul room in this chapter is just how they perceive themselves.

 


	3. Chamber of Secrets

**Chamber of Secrets**

Some things were better at the Dursley's than before Hogwarts, and some things were worse. He still had Dudley's second bedroom, but all his new wizarding things were locked away in the cupboard under the stairs. Harry worried that he'd get in trouble for not doing his homework, but what could he do when his books were locked away? He worried even more for his owl. Vernon had threatened to kill her, and Harry wouldn't allow that, so he'd released Hedwig and told her to not come back and that he'd see her at Hogwarts.

One of the first things his uncle had asked him when he got home was if he had talked about them. Harry denied it, but Vernon hadn't believed him. The fat man yanked off his belt, demanding the truth. Boy screamed that he wasn't lying, that he really hadn't told. After about an hour, Vernon was finally satisfied that Harry was telling the truth and released him to go upstairs. Harry woke healed and didn't think twice at suddenly being in his room.

Over the next few weeks, Rose came Out to garden and cook everyday, but she was sent back to Dudley's second bedroom when Petunia had the tea parties. She was hurt. She really liked those. They were fun and she would get to eat, but she did as she was told.

Silas felt restless, but he knew he shouldn't come Out. There was nothing for him to do at the Dursley's anyway. Gabriel felt the same, but he was having a harder time containing his restlessness. Boy and Rose of course weren't feeling any stress. They were Out almost everyday. And, anyway, they could go a long time without feeling they had to come Out since they slept while in their rooms. Silas and Gabriel slept sometimes, but were mostly aware and awake, watching behind Harry's eyes.

That was how things stood a month after Hogwarts let out. Now it was midmorning. Rose was gardening happily until Dudley came over to pick on her. Rose couldn't hear what he was saying, but could clearly feel the fear and hate rolling off the older boy. When the blond shoved her, Gabriel had enough and pushed Out.

"What are you looking at, freak?" Dudley glared as Harry stood and looked him over with bright eyes.

"Just trying to decide what would be the best spell to set your clothes on fire," Gabriel answered and began to grin widely as Dudley's fat face paled.

"You c-can't… Dad told you you're not to do m-magic… he said he'll chuck you out of the house… and you haven't got anywhere else to go… you haven't got any friends to take you…"

"How do you know I don't have friends?" Gabriel stalked closer to the boy and Dudley waddled backwards as quick as he could go. "I have tons."

"Liar. They w-would have written t-today if that were t-true." Dudley was beginning to feel more confident. "It's your birthday, isn't it? Not one letter means not one friend, freak!"

"Jiggery pokery!" Gabriel said in a fierce voice while wiggling his fingers in the boy's direction. "Hocus pocus! Squiggly wiggly!"

"MUUUUUM!" Dudley screamed in terror as he raced to the kitchen. "MUUUM! He's doing you know what!"

Silas glared at Gabriel as he came back In. Gabriel at least was smart enough to be ashamed and whispered a sorry to the sleeping Harry on the couch. Boy was already Out and taking a vicious punishment, and for the first time in his life, it wasn't from Vernon. Petunia shrieked as she thrashed Boy with a hot frying pan. It was so bad that Boy couldn't even crawl up the stairs afterward and Petunia had to drag him.

"We are having important guests tonight," she hissed breathlessly. "If I hear one sound out of you, Vernon will come up and you'll regret it. Do you hear?"

"I'm sorry. Yes. I'll be good," Boy whispered hoarsely, curled in a trembling ball. Tears drenched his face and sobs echoed around the bare room. "Sorry sorry so sorry forgive me sorry I'll be good very good don't hurt me I'm sorry..."

Petunia smiled grimly and locked the door behind her. Boy continued to cry, huddled in agony, unaware of the magic he was using to try and ease the pain. It took two hours and he fell back In exhausted. Harry came awake and sighed. He stretched his sore muscles and yawned. Limping, he made his way to the bed and crawled under the single thin sheet. He was so tired he didn't see there was something else in the bed until he almost lay on it.

The creature jumped to his feet as Harry jerked back and bowed so low that its long nose touched the floor. It had huge floppy ears and eyes the size of tennis balls. It was no higher than his waist, and Harry was pretty small. It looked harmless, though. Harry couldn't think of anything truly threatening that would wear a pillowcase as clothes.

And so Harry met Dobby and listened to the creature's warnings about going back to Hogwarts, but he wouldn't stay at the Dursley's. The new room was better than the cupboard, sure, but now that he had tasted the freedom at Hogwarts he was never going to settle for this. He winced every time the creature made noise. He knew that was a very bad idea. The Dursley's never liked hearing from him. Plus, he thought he could hear guests downstairs.

But all that was forgotten when he found out Dobby had been keeping his letters. First he felt relief. He really had been afraid his friends had forgotten him. It had hurt badly, but now he knew that wasn't true and that made him mad. He tried to grab the letters, but he was stiff, sore, and tired. He missed. The little creature ran downstairs. Harry cursed and chased after him as silently as he could, his heart hammering in his chest painfully fast.

"No," Harry choked, face paling and a headache building behind his eyes as he watched Aunt Petunia's fancy desert float dangerously across the kitchen. Unknown to him, Boy was pressing at him, trying to get Out as Harry's own fear called to him. "Please… they'll kill me…"

"Harry Potter must say he's not going back to school," Dobby insisted.

"Dobby… please…" Harry said urgently, his headache worsening. He fought to ignore it.

"Say it, sir."

"I can't. I have to go back," Harry pleaded.

"Then Dobby must do it, sir, for Harry Potter's own good."

The pudding dropped, crashed, shattered. An owl told him he would be expelled if there were any more magic at all in his residence.

Vernon smiled like a demon as he read the letter. "No magic," he said gleefully and turned back to a shaking Harry who knew no more.

Boy stayed Out for three whole days; Vernon beating him again and again. He was doing so much damage so fast that Boy couldn't keep up with it all.

Silas and Gabriel weren't aware what was happening because Boy blocked them from watching as they normally did through Harry, but they knew it couldn't be good for Boy to have to use so much to heal them. They would die if things kept as they were. Neither could get Out to do anything because the body's physical pain anchored Boy, but as the body weakened, they might have a chance and both of the teens wanted Out when that happened.

"I can protect us better!" Gabriel yelled.

"I can get us out alive. This isn't a battle, but an escape,” Silas drawled from his perch, leaning casually against the wall.

Surprisingly, neither of the boys were needed. On the third night of their punishment, the Weasley twins and Ron arrived in a flying car to rescue them. The Weasley's stared in horror as they peeked in the window with prison bars on it. They could hear whimpering and crying.

"Harry. Harry!" Ron called as loud as he dared. "Are you okay? Answer me!"

Boy lifted his head and looked at the window. He flinched back seeing people were there. His crying got louder and he curled up tighter. Silas and Gabriel stopped fighting and began working together. No one from Hogwarts could see Boy. They might find out about all of them and who knew where that would lead. Nowhere pleasant, they were sure.

After much pulling and fighting, they got Boy to back down and allow Harry to slip back Out. Silas tried to ignore Boy's hysterical crying inside the cupboard, but Gabriel sat at the door (Boy didn't like to be watched or touched. He'd feel best alone inside the dark cupboard) and tried to calm him with words of comfort and reassurance.

Harry was shocked and then joyful to see his friends. He ignored the many bruises and cuts. All the worst damage had been healed already. The pain really was tolerable. The twins shared a meaningful look, but relaxed as Harry and Ron chatted happily in the back about Dobby and what it all could mean.

Harry loved the Burrow and was completely clueless that the older Weasleys were watching him very carefully. Ron was pretty much oblivious as well and the two stuck together. Due to the intense worried attention on them, Silas deemed it best that no one come Out until they were back at Hogwarts. Gabriel muttered under his breath, but he went to his room without a word. Silas smiled and went to his own.

**xXxXxXx**

A week and a half later Harry was shopping for school supplies after his crash landing in _Borgin and Burkes_ and witnessing the strange sale with the Malfoy's. Later that same afternoon, he went through the fiasco with Lockhart and confrontation with the Malfoy's at the bookstore. Overall, it wasn't such a fun trip.

By September 1st, Harry was almost sad to go back to Hogwarts. He really loved it at the Burrow and almost felt like he could belong with the large loving family. But that didn't mean he didn't want to go to Hogwarts. He felt panicky when they couldn't get through the barrier. Silas shook his head at Harry; who cared if they missed the train? The Weasley's would get them to school and he'd probably get to miss the boring feast. The Slytherin glared coldly at Gabriel when the he cheered as Ron talked Harry into flying the car to school.

"Oh, come on, Silas!" Gabriel laughed. "It'll be fun!"

Of course, not even Gabriel thought it was fun when the car started dying later that night. He rushed Out and tried to control the situation. Ron was sitting there screaming his head off as they raced toward the castle walls and was no help at all. Gabriel lunged and yanked the wheel. They arched in the air and came hurtling to the ground. Purposely Gabriel aimed for a tree, hoping that would break their fall and save their lives.

The tough old willow did exactly that. They hung a foot off the ground, nursing their hurts from the crash when the tree started attacking them. Gabriel was astounded. Ron panicked again, but Gabriel yelled, "Reverse!" The car shot out of the tree, landed on the ground, and came to a stop. Thank god that was over. He relaxed.

Harry found himself on the ground at Hogwarts after being forcefully expelled by the car. Ron was pissed that they lost the car, but he was glad they were alive. Harry felt his head and the growing bruise and lump there. He must have been knocked unconscious for a bit there. He grimaced against the pain and trudged after the redhead up to the school. The Sorting was already underway. There was no way they could sneak in without being seen.

Then Snape found them. He led them to the dungeons and when the man promised they'd be expelled, Harry retreated in horror. Silas rose to take his place. This was going to be a battle of cunning, but in all honesty he wasn't really worried. He really didn't think they'd get expelled. Harry was the Boy-Who-Lived, for god's sake. Dumbledore would want him under his thumb. Expulsion would put Harry out of reach and the headmaster wouldn't want that.

Silas sat watchful as Ron explained and pleaded with McGonagall. He felt Professor Snape's eyes on him and met the black-eyed stare with a serious face. The Professor frowned, but Dumbledore entered before he could speak.

"Please explain this," the headmaster said after a long silence; heavy disappointment laced his voice.

Silas bowed his head to hide his sneer. Fuck the man! Silas knew damn well that Dumbledore wasn't really disappointed. All he was doing was trying to manipulate Harry. Silas could see the truth in the old man's body language. He's probably pleased with Harry and Gabriel's recklessness, Silas thought bitterly. Dumbledore would need that kind of attitude in his weapon of war. But none of Silas' true feelings showed in his voice as he carefully edited the tale to make it sound like an innocent mistake and a traumatic event at the same time. After that, he wasn't needed and faded back In.

"We'll go and get out stuff," Ron said hopelessly. Harry looked around and saw that Dumbledore and McGonagall had arrived. He must have hit his head harder than he thought to keep blacking out.

"What are you talking about, Weasley?" McGonagall frowned at him.

"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?"

"Not today, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore rumbled and Harry thought he'd faint with relief.

He happily accepted the detention. He'd have a hundred of them if it meant he could stay. The relief didn't last very long. The next day at breakfast a Howler arrived and he learned that Mr. Weasley was facing an inquiry at work. He felt horrible. The day got worse as he bumped into Lockhart during Herbology class and the blond Professor insisted on making a fool of them both.

In fact, the whole start of term was pretty unpleasant for Harry. He had taken to avoiding Lockhart as much as possible, Ron was miserable (thus Harry was upset) because of his malfunctioning wand, and Oliver was even more fanatical about Quidditch than ever. Not to mention the constant stress from the fights with Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherins.

But none of this much mattered to Silas. He still came Out to study every night in Hogwarts Library. Gabriel seethed about being cooped up, especially when the Slytherins came around to make trouble, but Silas only had to shoot him a cold glare to make him calm down. He was still in the doghouse with the Slytherin personality from the whole car incident.

**xXxXxXx**

Then on the first Saturday since school had started, McGonagall told Harry he'd have detention with Lockhart while Ron had detention with Filch. Harry arrived at Lockhart's door five before seven at night and had to grit his teeth and force himself to knock. The conceited airhead welcomed him and shut the door. Harry stared at the huge pile of fan mail in shock.

"You can address the envelopes!" Lockhart told Harry as though this were a huge treat. "This first one's to Gladys Gudgeon, bless her… huge fan of mine…"

They were at it for at least an hour when Lockhart stood and came up behind Harry. Harry tensed as he felt the Professor's hands settle on his shoulders and begin to rub.

"You're so tense. I know this is hard work, but you have to learn to pace yourself," Lockhart said gently. "Just relax. Doesn't that feel good?"

Harry felt himself slowly relax in spite of himself and nodded.

Lockhart smiled and continued to massage, going lower down the boy's back. Eventually he slid Harry's outer school robes off and continued to massage. Harry felt uncomfortable. No one had ever touched him like this before, but then again, touching wasn't something his family was fond of. He remembered Petunia messaging Dudley's shoulders a few times when the boy had come back from football practice when he was younger. Dudley quit after half a season, though. It had been too hard. So Harry didn't say anything about the impromptu massage. It did feel good.

"You're really worked up," Lockhart said in a worried tone. "Undo a few of your shirt buttons so I can get to your shoulders with this ointment. One of my fans sent it to me. Really nice of her."

"I don't know…" Harry murmured nervously.

"Oh, tut Harry. We have to stick together. No one else knows the burdens we face. Come on. Don't be shy. It's just a little cream. It'll relax you right fast."

Harry did as he was told. The cream was warm as Lockhart rubbed it into his skin. He felt his muscles go even more lax, like water. He felt almost numb and smiled. It was a weird feeling. Something told him that this wasn't good at all, but he didn't pay attention. He felt great, so what could be wrong?

Harry's eyes widened when he felt his shirt slip all the way off. Lockhart assured him he just wanted to put more on and so he relaxed. More cream was spread and the detached feeling increased until he was in a happy haze. That shrank when he felt his pants coming undone. He batted at the Professor, but Lockhart just knocked his hands away.

"Shhh, Harry. It'll be aright. I won't hurt you, I promise. This will feel even better. Won't you like that?"

Harry squirmed as he felt his teacher's hands on him. The man's arms wrapped around him from behind, his fingers stroking and holding. Harry's body felt so heavy and he was so overwhelmed by the feeling of being touched, that he sat numb. Whispered praises hit his ear, and he felt queazy as he was turned around. His back was to the table, his pants pulled off. The man settled on his knees between Harry's legs. Harry's head rolled on his neck, looking down at the man whose blue eyes were swollowed by black pupil.

“So beautiful, kitten,” Lockhart panted, hoarse and rough. His mouth opened and he licked between Harry's legs. “Going to make you feel so good.”

Harry arched with a whimper and moaned in horror. No, this wasn't happening! Stop! But he couldn't cry out. Screaming inside, he broke apart and fell away.

"You like that, kitten? It's so good, isn't it?" Lockhart asked huskily.

Green eyes stared blankly and then he began to moan in pleasure as that hot mouth went back to work. Oh yes. This was nice. Smiling, Harry's head tossed and turned as he arched weakly into the warm, hot, exciting sensations. Lockhart gasped and masturbated to the sound of the small twelve-year-old moaning and purring as he worked his mouth.

The child gave a shocked cry, his small hands tangling in he professor's hair as he had his first orgasm. Pleasure swept through him like a fever and settled deep in the personality's bones. Clear white spunk splattered across Lockhart's tongue, and the man groaned, shooting his cum on the child's thin legs. Hazy green eyes stared down at him, the boy's cheeks flushed red and his mouth gaping open as he panted.

“Such a good boy,” Lockhart praised, running his hand through the boy's damp hair. “Made you feel so good, just like I promised. Here now, let's set you to rights.” Lockhart got the pliant boy back into his clothes and sitting at the desk once more. “That's a good kitten,” he purred, daring to kiss the boy's cheek and hugging the precious boy from behind. “Good boy.”

**xXxXxXx**

Silas stared sadly at the sleeping boy on the couch. Gabriel paced angrily, wanting Out to hex the bastard, but the new one was too entrenched and oh so happy. Things continued for a good half hour before Harry faded and a young teen appeared in the corner. She smiled seductively and with satisfaction.

She had on a blood red dress. It was sleeveless and came up to her chin but was skin tight, hugging the curve of her small breasts. The skirt part fell to the floor, but two slits on the side went high enough to show her curvy hips. She stood barefoot and her dark red hair was shoulder length. She had bangs that framed her face and fell into her smoldering dark brown eyes. Her full red lips were naturally pouty.

The boys could feel the magic around her weave a subtle glamour of attraction, kind of like a Veela. Thankfully, the two boys were unaffected. Silas stared blankly and Gabriel glared at her as she blew a kiss and walked to her room, hips swaying provocatively. Boy was crying loudly from within the cupboard.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry found himself moving an aching hand over another envelope. He glanced around at the candles and found they had shrunk several inches since he had started this tedious detention. The many Lockhart's staring down at him made him uncomfortable and he fidgeted. He definitely didn't like the smile the Professor was shooting over at him. Blushing, he tried to concentrate on the paper. It must be nearly time to leave, he thought miserably though he didn't know why he was so anxious to go, please let it be nearly time.

"You alight, Harry?" Lockhart smiled. "Great Scott- look at the time! We've been here nearly four hours! I'd never have believed it- the time's flown hasn't it?"

Harry didn't answer.

"Well, we'll just keep our fun secret. No need to make others jealous, right, Harry?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said quickly and stood, grabbing his bag.

"Good." Lockhart smiled. "I'll see you in class then."

Feeling dazed, Harry left. It was so late that the Gryffindor common room was almost empty. He went straight up to the dormitory. He was strangely grateful that Ron wasn't back yet from working with Filch. Without a word, he pulled on his pajamas, got into bed, and fell instantly asleep.

**xXxXxXx**

Almost two months passed. The new personality named herself Kitten. The boys refused to call her that and settled for Kit. She was like Rose and Boy, sleeping until she was needed. Unfortunately, that was three more times. And, like Boy, while she was Out, the others couldn't see what was happening. They had to settle for asking her when she came In what happened. It was hard to understand her since she was always content and sleepy by then, but Silas gathered that Lockhart hadn't gone further with her than making out, touching, and blow jobs.

He and Gabriel began tentatively discussing coming clean with a professor, but they were reluctant because then they'd have to explain that Harry wasn't alone in his head. In any case, Gabriel wanted to tell McGonagall and Silas wanted to tell Professor Snape because Professor McGonagall was too deeply in Dumbledore's pocket. Silas refused to let them be revealed to the headmaster. For the time being they were at a stalemate.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry, Ron, and Hermione kept their promise to Nick and went to his deathday party. It was the least Harry could do since the ghost had saved him from Filch's punishment for mudding the castle floors after Quidditch practice. It was dark and gloomy and they were glad to leave. They hurried to the Great Hall, hoping they might be able to catch the end of the feast when Harry came to a stop.

"… _rip…tear…kill…"_

The voice was cold, silky, and murderous. Harry was so shocked that he clutched the wall as he looked around wildly for whoever was speaking. Ron and Hermione were ahead of him and turned around curiously to find out why he had stopped so suddenly. Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Harry stopped her by raising his hand.

"… _soo hungry…for soo long…"_

Harry frowned, seeing no one else in the corridor. "Listen. Do you hear that? What is it?"

"… _kill…time to kill…"_

"I don't hear anything," Hermione whispered. Ron scrunched his face as he concentrated, but he shook his head, too.

"… _hungry… want blood…"_

The voice was growing fainter. Harry was sure it was moving away and up. Why couldn't his friends hear? But it was obviously a threat. It was going to hurt someone! He fell back and Gabriel smiled grimly. He caught the Gryffindor's eyes and shouted, "This way!"

They ran up the nearest stairs and found themselves in the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. He sprinted up the marble staircase to the first floor, Ron and Hermione clattering behind him.

"Harry, what're we…"

"SHH!" Gabriel ordered as he stalked forward, wand at ready. He strained his ears. Distantly, from the floor above and growing fainter, he heard the voice again.

"… _I smell blood…delicious blood…"_

"It's going to kill someone!" Gabriel explained to the shocked Gryffindors as he took off again. He hurtled around the whole of the second floor, Ron and Hermione panting behind him, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last deserted passage.

"Harry, what was that all about?" Ron panted as he wiped sweat from his face. "I can't hear a thing."

Hermione gave a sudden gasp, pointing down the corridor; "Look!"

Seeing he was too late to stop whatever had happened, Gabriel faded back. Harry blinked and watched as Ron and Hermione approached something ahead of him. He looked around, but he wasn't sure where he was. Shrugging and curious, he stepped up to his friends. There was a puddle of water, Ms. Norris hanging stiff as stone from an iron torch holder, and huge letters smeared in red:

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED.

ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

**xXxXxXx**

Everyone in the school was in an uproar. Ron and Hermione were eager to find out all they could about the Chamber of Secrets, but Harry was a little reluctant. Especially since half the school thought he was the Heir. Hermione was frustrated beyond belief when all she could find out about the Chamber in a week's time was the vague explanation given by Professor Binns one day in class.

Harry dragged his feet as Hermione and Ron made him stay after DADA with them. When the three of them were alone, she approached Lockhart with a permission slip to visit the restricted section. It didn't take much sweet talking to get the ditzy professor to sign it.

"So, Harry," Lockhart said while Hermione folded the note and slipped it in her bag. "Tomorrow's the first Quidditch match of the season, I believe? Gryffindor against Slytherin, is it not? I hear you're quite the player. I was a Seeker, too. I was asked to try for the National Squad, but preferred to dedicate my life to the eradication of the Dark Forces. Still, if ever you feel the need for a little _private_ training, don't hesitate to ask. Always happy to pass on my _expertise_ to less able players..."

Harry made an indistinct noise in his throat and then hurried after Ron and Hermione.

**xXxXxXx**

The match was horrible. They won, but Dobby set a bludger against him and Lockhart made all his bones in his arm disappear. Growing them back had Boy out in a flash. Thankfully, Pomfrey was asleep most of the night and no one noticed the odd behavior. It was early morning when Harry woke to find the teachers hovering over the second petrification victim: Colin Creevey.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry participated passively as Ron and Hermione worked hard on the Polyjuice potion planning on interrogating Malfoy over Christmas break. Harry was glad for one thing, though. This year both Ron and Hermione were staying with him for the winter holiday. He hoped Malfoy staying too wouldn't ruin it.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn't Malfoy who ruined the holidays. It was Harry himself. Three weeks into December, Lockhart started a dueling club. Harry was dragged there by Hermione. Ron was just as reluctant. Everything was going okay, but then he was paired with Malfoy. They were dueling and then a snake shot out of the blond's wand.

"Don't move, Potter," Snape said lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. "I'll get rid of it."

"Allow me!" Lockhart brandished his wand.

The snake flew into the air and landed painfully. It hissed furiously, fangs barred at a terrified Justin Finch-Fletchley. Gabriel surged forward under the power of his need to protect people and strode toward the snake. It was curled and preparing to strike.

He growled angrily and then shouted, _"Leave him alone!"_

Miraculously, inexplicably, the snake slumped to the floor, docile as a garden hose.

Satisfied, Gabriel slipped back and Harry stared at the snake in some confusion.

" _As you wish. I will not attack these pathetic humans,"_ the snake hissed petulantly.

" _Thank you,"_ Harry said uncertainly, but he relaxed. He was very glad that no one was going to get hurt. He looked up at Justin, grinning, expecting to see Justin looking relieved or puzzled or even grateful, but certainly not angry and scared.

"What do you think you're playing at?" the Hufflepuff demanded before turning and running from the room.

Before the room could explode into motion, Ron and Hermione hurried him from the room. They quickly explained that what sounded like English to him was really hissing sounds to everyone else. Harry spoke Parseltongue. It was a dark power supposedly, and originated with Salazar himself. Harry stared at them in horror not wanting the talent at all.

**xXxXxXx**

Inside the soul chamber, Silas hissed in pain as he was struck by what looked like lightning. Gabriel stared in awe as the teen rose up and then collapsed. Gabriel ran to him and helped him into a chair. Worried blue eyes met swirling blue-gray. "What was that?"

Silas sighed. "Parseltongue. Only I can access it now."

**xXxXxXx**

Things got worse from there. The whole school, except for a few, turned on Harry. They were sure more than ever before that he was the Heir out to kill muggle-borns. Justin was the next petrified. More interested in solving the mystery now that it involved him so deeply, he took Polyjuice with Ron. They became Crabbe and Goyle and interrogated Malfoy, only to find out Mr. Weasley was fined 50 gallons over the car.

Time passed. The night before Valentine's Day Lockhart and Kitten played for the first time in weeks. The man had them on the floor in his office, sucking and licking Harry while he thrust lazily into the boy's mouth. Kitten remained plaint and willing, but if it started to hurt or choke, she'd whine and Boy would tremble behind her eyes. Lockhart learned to go slow or risk the child freaking out.

The day after Lockhart's visit, Harry found the diary. When he fell asleep, Silas came Out. He knew what the diary was for and he wrote confidently on the first page. He conversed with Tom about the Chamber, but he faded In to let Harry view the memory when the diary offered. How else would Harry be told what happened?

When it was over, Harry crashed, spread-eagled, on his four poster in the Gryffindor dormitory. Riddle's diary was lying open on his stomach. Harry was dazed. He felt stupid for not expecting such things from something magical. Before he had time to regain his breath, the door opened and Ron came in. Harry sat up sweating and shaking.

"What's up?" Ron frowned with concern.

"It was Hagrid, Ron. Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets fifty years ago."

**xXxXxXx**

None of them wanted to confront Hagrid about it, but things became desperate a couple weeks later when Hagrid was sent to Azkaban and Dumbledore was kicked out of the school. Things were becoming unbearable. Everyone was frightened and tiptoeing around. The stress was suffocating. The only good thing was that the new rules and security kept Lockhart away from Harry.

When Harry saw spiders running to the Forbidden Forest during Herbology one day, he made up his mind to follow them just like Hagrid had said. Harry was doing well. He talked Ron into going with him all by himself, and that night snuck out of the school and out to the forest, but Ron's fear and anxiety were contagious.

Just as they stepped within the dark foreboding branches, he shrank back fearfully and Gabriel took his place. Gabriel confidently and competently led them through the forest, following the small spiders. He guided the conversation with Aragog (with whispered tips from Silas) and kept them both alive while getting back out of the forest.

Harry came back to himself halfway back to the castle, covered in dirt and scratches. Ron looked worse. He bit his lip, but he didn't dare ask what happened. It was then that he began to suspect something was wrong with him. He was just having too many unexplained black outs. Maybe he was sick?

He listened as Ron hysterically ranted about the evening, basically telling him everything that happened in the forest. His green eyes grew wide as he listened. Had he really done all that? That night he lay in bed thinking of everything Ron had said. He thought over the great Aragog's words. If Ron remembered right, the spider said that the only victim fifty years ago had been a girl in a bathroom. What if she never left?

**xXxXxXx**

Silas fell tiredly into a chair. It was hard to get that boy to listen to him! He'd been yelling Moaning Myrtle's name for almost fifteen minutes now.

"Good job," Gabriel said sincerely from the chair across from him.

"You didn't do too bad yourself," Silas drawled and they shared a tired smile.

**xXxXxXx**

The security measures prevented Harry and Ron from gathering more substantial evidence to free Hagrid and bring back Dumbledore, but things became even more serious when they heard that another student had been attacked and this time it wasn't just petrification. The victim had been abducted. It was Ginny. After hearing the news, Harry sat silently in the common room with the mourning and worried Weasleys all day. Night fell and eventually it was only Ron and Harry left.

"Do you know what?" Ron suddenly spoke. "I think we should go tell Lockhart what we know. You heard. They're sending him after Ginny and we have to do all we can."

Because Harry couldn't think of anything else to do, and because he wanted to be doing something, he agreed. The Gryffindors around them were so miserable and felt so bad for Ginny that nobody tied to stop them as they left. It was full dark by the time they got to Lockhart's office. Ron knocked and there was a sudden silence inside. Then the door opened the tiniest crack and they saw one of Lockhart's eyes peering out at them.

"Oh, Mr. Potter… Mr. Weasley…" the professor said and opened the door wider. "I'm rather busy…"

"We've got important information for you," Ron said boldly. "We think it'll help you."

Looking uncomfortable, Lockhart let them in. The two boys saw that the office was almost completely stripped. Two large trunks stood open on the floor. "Are you going somewhere?" Ron asked. Harry had fallen strangely mute.

"Er, well, yes. Urgent call, unavoidable, I've got to go."

"What about my sister?"

"Well, as to that… most unfortunate…"

"You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher!" Harry found his voice. "You can't go now! Not with all the Dark stuff going on here! You can't run away! What about all that stuff you did in your books? This should be easy!"

"My dear boy, do use your common sense. My books wouldn't have sold half as well if people didn't think I'd done all those things. No one wants to read about some ugly old Armenian warlock, even if he did save a village from werewolves. He'd look dreadful on the front cover. No dress sense at all. And the witch who banished the Bandon Banshee had a harelip. I mean, come on…"

"So you've just been taking credit for what a load of other people have done?" Harry couldn't believe it. He didn't like Lockhart, but this was low.

Lockhart ignored them, "Let's see. I think that's everything. Yes. Only one thing left." He pulled out his wand and turned to the boys. "Awfully sorry, but I'll have to put a Memory Charm on you now. Can't have you blabbing my secrets all over the place. Especially you, Harry…"

"Expelliarmus!" Gabriel yelled.

Lockhart stared up into Harry's furious and gleeful eyes and said, "What d'you want me to do?"

Gabriel cocked his head as if listening to something, and he was. Silas was suggesting they confirm the location of the Chamber and then drop Lockhart inside for the basilisk before going to another teacher with what they knew. "You're in luck," he said, very pleased with the evilness of Silas' idea in this case. He'd just tweak it a bit. "We know where the Chamber is and what's inside it. Let's go and add another adventure to your list."

Myrtle showed them the entrance and Gabriel sunk back to let Silas order it open in Parseltongue. Then, before Silas knew it, he was yanked back and Gabriel took his place one more. Ignoring the threats from the angry Slytherin, Gabriel followed the others into the hole. There was no time to waste. Ginny was dieing and he had to save her. Harry and all of them owed the Weasleys. The Weasleys had saved their life by rescuing them when they did and they had only caused them problems in repayment over the car.

Silas seethed silently, knowing better than to distract the reckless hero.

Gabriel landed after Ron in the dark entrance tunnel just as Lockhart leapt. Gabriel jumped forward, but he was too late. Lockhart had knocked Ron over and taken the redhead's wand. The professor yelled a curse and Gabriel cast a shielding charm that was way above a second year's level. It wavered, but held steady long enough to rebound Lockhart's curse right back at him. The ceiling caved from the force of the two spells.

"Ron, are you okay?" Gabriel demanded.

"I'm here!" Ron called. He was on the other side of a rock pile. "Lockhart's with me, but he's unconscious."

"Wait there with Lockhart. Try to clear a small hole. I'll be back with Ginny," Gabriel decided and turned to enter the Chamber, ignoring Ron's and Silas' protests.

It was a good thing for Gabriel that the Chamber had already been opened. He wouldn't have been able to get in had it not. Silas definitely wouldn't have been agreeable to come out and hiss Parseltongue to get them in. It was too bad that Harry had locked Parseltongue away because it could have come in handy to order the basilisk to back off. Oh, well. Determined, Gabriel leapt into battle.

**xXxXxXx**

Gabriel came out victorious but exhausted. So much so that he faded In and it was Silas who had to gather the sobbing Ginny, anxious Ron, and the pervert Lockhart out of the Chamber. Silas knew the girl needed medical attention, but he was growing rapidly weaker himself. McGonagall's office was closer than the infirmary and he led their sorry group there instead.

He knocked and was told to come in. Silas stood staring at Dumbledore with a brilliantly glowing Fawkes on his shoulder. Ms. Weasley was embracing her children in tears, and McGonagall looked about to have a heart attack. Silas felt cold anger and hatred, but before it could influence him or reach his face it was bled away by the Demon. He let it. Otherwise he would have begun cursing that smiling old man.

Dumbledore had been here! Why hadn't he come down and done something? Again the bastard left them to battle things far above their skill level. Again he risked their lives for a damn fucking test. It wouldn't surprise Silas at all if it hadn't been the spells that made the ceiling fall but Dumbledore himself. The bastard probably wanted Gabriel to go on alone!

All eyes turned to him as they demanded to know what happened. In answer, Silas strode forward and placed the stabbed diary on the desk. Then he placed Gryffindor's sword and the Sorting Hat next to it. Silas was careful never to touch the blade himself and used the Sorting Hat to grip it. When he had come Out to replace Gabriel, it had burned him.

Knowing he couldn't escape without telling them what happened, Silas concisely summed up what prompted Gabriel's actions and what happened in the Chamber. Ginny began crying loudly when he explained what the diary had done to her and who had done it. McGonagall had fallen back into a chair with shock and Ms. Weasley was crying with her daughter. Ron was very pale and Lockhart played stupidly with a paper weight. Dumbledore's eyes never left Silas, or rather who he thought was Harry.

Tired, Silas sat in the chair in front of the desk and faded In. Harry came aware in the middle of Dumbledore's speech about Tom Riddle and Voldemort being the same person and once a student. Harry was numb with shock and fatigue. What was gong on? Why was he so sore and covered with slime and blood? He was answered unknowingly by Dumbledore.

"I seem to remember telling you both that I would have to expel you if you broke anymore school rules," Dumbledore said calmly and both Ron and Harry began to shake. "Which goes to show that the best of us must sometimes eat our words. You will both receive Special Awards for Services to the School. I think two hundred points for you Ron for helping solve the mystery of the monster within the Chamber and figuring out the Chamber's location. Another two hundred for you, Harry, for defeating the basilisk and Tom Riddle. Four hundred points to Gryffindor."

Ron gasped and leapt to his feet to hug a stunned Harry. He had defeated a basilisk and Voldemort's memory? How in the world had he done that? Shaking, he just stared dully as Ron shook him in his excitement.

"But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure," Dumbledore added. "Why so modest, Gilderoy?"

Ron quickly explained that there had been an accident and that Lockhart's memory had been completely erased.

"Dear me," Dumbledore smiled as he shook his head. "Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!"

Silas and Gabriel both instantly became enraged. The bastard knew that pervert had been a fake! It was his fault that Harry had been molested! Harry had no idea why he was suddenly so angry, but the emotion was gone just as fast as it came. Swaying, Harry crumbled forward in a faint.

**xXxXxXx**

He woke up in the hospital wing. Hermione and Ron were there and told him all about the feast he had missed. Exams were canceled and Ron explained the strange note next to some flowers and candy by Harry's bed. It was from Dobby. It seemed the headmaster heard of the house-elf's plight and managed to get him free while returning the ruined diary to Lucius Malfoy.

Harry remained subdued for a few days, upset with his repeating memory blanks, but soon he was just as happy as everyone else. The last two and a half weeks passed in a haze of blazing sunshine and there were plenty of things to cheer Harry up. Lucius was no longer a school governor, Draco was no longer strutting around, and Ginny was beginning to smile again. Things were good.

Even returning to the Dursleys wasn't as bad as it could have been. Both Ron and Hermione wanted to make double sure they could contact him over the summer and took his phone number. Harry asked Ron how he was going to call, and Ron promised him he'd find a way. Harry smiled hugely and hugged the redhead, making the boy blush, and together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.

**End Chamber of Secrets.**

**A/N:** Harry's third year will follow Prisoner of Azkaban's main events, but my story will now begin to veer from cannon. For example: the story will no longer be done in a summary style and will be present tense.

 


	4. Escaping the Dursleys

**Escape from the Dursleys**

The first week back with the Dursleys had been relatively tolerable. Vernon and Dudley took to ignoring him mostly, and although all his school things were locked up again, they allowed Hedwig to fly free at night as long as she was back by dawn. Petunia unlocked Harry's door an hour or so after sunrise to make sure the bird was in its cage and to let Harry (really Rose) out.

Rose made breakfast, cleaned the house, did the laundry, tended the garden, and eventually made dinner. As soon as those chores were done, she was sent back up to Dudley's second bedroom and locked inside, usually around six in the evening. She was lucky to get a small lunch and sneak a few bites of dinner while she made it.

Around ten, Harry would let Hedwig out to fly all night and would eat the scraps of food pushed to him through the cat flap at the bottom of the door. Bars were back on the window and they looked stronger than ever, now anchored to the window's new steel frame. The room itself was empty of anything except the bed with its single thin sheet and Hedwig's cage that sat on the floor in the corner. The cabinet that he'd hid Dobby in last summer was gone, so was every single one of Dudley's broken toys.

Harry spent more than twelve hours a day in that bare room alone: four of which he spent playing with Hedwig, the other eight he slept. So things weren't too terrible. Boy hadn't yet needed to come Out, and none of the others were restless yet, but all this changed exactly a week after school let out.

The Dursleys were eating dinner, so the televisions were all off and the house was silent enough that Harry could hear his family talking while he sat up in his room petting Hedwig. Then the phone rang. Harry didn't hear who picked it up, but he could clearly hear who was calling, even from his room.

"HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I – WANT – TO – TALK – TO – HARRY – POTTER!" Ron yelled.

Harry moaned. He knew his friend was a pureblood wizard, but surely he could have found out the proper way of using a phone before calling!

"WHO IS THIS?" Vernon roared. "WHO ARE YOU?"

"RON – WEASLEY! I'M – A – FRIEND – OF – HARRY'S – FROM – SCHOOL!"

Harry began to breathe faster. He was in for it now. Ron should have known better than to mention Hogwarts.

"THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER HERE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY FAMILY!" And then there was a slam of the phone against the wall and Vernon's thunderous footsteps coming up the stairs.

Harry rushed over to Hedwig's cage and let her out, ordering her to stay away and meet him at Hogwarts. He didn't want his enraged uncle to hurt her. She flew gracefully out the window, and Boy was Out before Harry's door was unlocked and his uncle came storming in.

"HOW DARE YOU GIVE THIS NUMBER TO PEOPLE LIKE – PEOPLE LIKE _YOU_!"

"I'm sorry!" Boy screamed as he was lifted up off the floor by his shirt. "Please! Please, don't hurt me! I'm sorry, Uncle!"

A fist came crashing into Boy's face and the child painfully collided with the wall. Vernon used the wall to brace himself as he began kicking the boy as hard as he could. Boy screamed, his arms coming up to block his face, his legs curling close to protect his midsection.

The booted feet pounded against him, slamming into him hard enough to make his body bounce off the wall. Boy hardly had time to breathe, and he grew silent. Red fireworks of agony erupted through his body, bruising down to the bone until it began to splinter and break. His shins and forearms were on fire. Cracks spread as the man's booted feet kept pounding down.

When Vernon finally stopped kicking, out of breath and hissing threats, Boy was only semi-conscious. Moaning pitifully, the boy sobbed, not daring to move.

The door opened again, Vernon carrying a long leather belt. "You'll learn this time, Boy." He reached down at viciously tore the child's shirt from his rail-thin body. The belt lashed down, catching the boy's shoulder.

Boy screamed, his skin turning red, a few drops of blood rising to the surface.

Vernon hissed and whipped him again. "Don't you scream, freak! _(Snap)_ The neighbors will hear you! _(Crack)_ Maybe next time you won't be so stupid!"

Boy stuffed his fists into his mouth to stop his shrieks as the belt kept coming down on him. Blood splattered delicately on the wall and ceiling each time Vernon pulled the belt back for another hit. Boy was laying flat on the floor by this time, barely conscious, his breath ragged, his mind consumed with roaring agony.

Vernon paused and looked down at the bloody mess at his feet. He grunted in approval and left the room, locking the door behind him.

**xXxXxXx**

The Dursleys left Harry in the room for three days before checking on him. Boy lay where they left him. He had a high fever and dry, cracked and bleeding lips. His back was a mess of bruised lash-marks, littered with the occasional scab where the belt had broken the skin. Worse, his forearms and lower legs were swollen almost twice their normal size.

The boy didn't wake when Petunia kicked at him, and it looked like he was barely breathing. Petunia rushed out terrified. They'd beaten the boy before, but he'd always magically healed. She'd never had to deal with the aftermath. Perhaps they had gone too far this time? She ordered Vernon to do something.

Vernon grimaced and filled the tub with cold water before dropping the boy into it.

Boy screamed and screamed. When he eventually calmed down, he realized he was in the bathroom alone. Shaking, sobbing, and weak, he forced himself to sit up and drink from the facet. He could hardly move the pain was so great. Breathing in great gasps of air, he lay draped over the side of the tub, shaking violently. Everything tilted horrifically in his fevered eyes and he cried, frightened. He begged the empty room for comfort, but nothing answered.

**xXxXxXx**

Petunia began tossing food and a bottle of water through the cat flap everyday. Boy ate shakily. The pain almost made him vomit it up. It never ended; it was piercing, maddening. Magic surged through him and worked hard to relieve the torment, but the damage was so great it took three days. Boy heaved a tired sigh and fell back. For the first time since the phone call, Harry resurfaced.

**xXxXxXx**

Petunia came up to check on him the next morning. Her lips were pursed, but she said nothing when Harry's bewildered and frightened eyes met hers. Harry was very confused. He didn't remember anything, but the evidence of his torn shirt and dry blood sprinkled in places told him something had happened. He began to hyperventilate.

"Aunt… What…"

"Come make breakfast and I'll let you have some," she said sharply and threw him another shirt.

Harry hurried into it and stood unsteadily. He was himself all the way to the kitchen, but the familiar environment called to Rose and she came Out to do what she was good at. She was her normal self, sweet and silent. Petunia nodded in satisfaction and true to her word allowed Harry to eat, but not with them. She had the boy sit outside on the backdoor's step. Rose ate daintily and then moved to tend the garden. It was looking ragged from the long days where it hadn't been tended. A spike of annoyance/anger made her look back to see her aunt in the doorway.

Rose carefully watched her mouth, reading, "What are you doing? I didn't tell you to work on the garden! Get in here right now. You can start your chores by cleaning up your room!"

Rose nodded with a willing smile and hurried to do as she was bid. It took almost an hour to get all the blood cleaned up. There wasn't so much of it, but blood was hard to get out and at first she only managed to smear it around. When she came downstairs, finished with her work and hoping for praise, all she received was a hot glare and her aunt marching her back upstairs with a painful grip on her arm. She was shoved inside once more, the door shutting firmly behind her.

Harry blinked awake, looked around the clean room lit by the afternoon sun, and began to cry. Why couldn't he remember what happened after releasing Hedwig? Why did he keep blacking out? Had he imagined the blood on the floor and walls from earlier? His uneasy thoughts followed him down into sleep, and he had confused and chaotic dreams.

**xXxXxXx**

Gabriel came into the soul chamber with a long sigh. "Kit's beginning to sleep restlessly. It's been months. She'll want Out soon, and the longer she is forced to wait, the worse she'll be when she's Out, right?"

"Yes," Silas answered distractedly. He was thinking of other things.

"We can't have her come Out while we're here." Gabriel got up to pace agitatedly. "What if _Vernon_ is affected by Kit's allure?"

Silas glared icily. "I know."

Gabriel was too busy pacing to notice Silas's worsening mood. "What are we going to do about it? Maybe I should just hex the bastard," he growled and ran his hands through his auburn hair. His movements were tense, so very unlike his usual confident steadiness, but that won him no sympathy from the Slytherin.

"Brilliant. Typical Gryffindor stupidity," Silas hissed angrily. "What magic are you going to use to hex the fat pig? Our magical stores were rather depleted by Boy."

**xXxXxXx**

The daily routine at the Dursleys went back to the way it had been before Ron called, though all the Dursleys were tense and watchful. Thankfully, Silas had a plan and only had to wait four days to put it in action.

Step one: He told Rose to open the junk drawer in the kitchen while she was breakfast and slip the cupboard key into her pocket. (She was reluctant. That wasn't a very polite thing to do. She wanted to please the Dursleys very much, but Silas was the unofficial leader and insisted. So she did it.)

Step two: While Rose was cleaning that morning, Silas took over and snuck into the hallway. He quickly unlocked the cupboard under the stairs and nicked his wand. He quickly went up and hid it in his room, heart pounding a mile a minute, before allowing Rose to go back to cleaning.

Step three: While Rose was making lunch, she slipped the key back into the drawer, no one the wiser.

Step four: They would wait until midnight, unlock the bedroom door with their wand, sneak downstairs, grab their trunk from the cupboard, and be off.

Unfortunately, while the Dursleys were relaxing in the living room, Hedwig flew around the house, hooting and trying to find a way in. She had a letter in her beak. It must be important for her to break the rule of only flying to Number 4 at night, but Harry couldn't worry about that. He heard Vernon's furious roar of "Boy!" and knew something bad was coming.

**xXxXxXx**

"We can't wait any longer," Silas said grimly and held Boy's door shut as it tried to open to allow him Out. "Go, Gabriel! Try not to use magic! Bluff, you moron, and get to the cupboard. Get our broom and Dad's cloak from the trunk, and fly out of here. Leave everything else. It's replaceable. No justice, no confrontations. Get out of the house as soon as you can!"

"Alright!" Gabriel snapped and disappeared, his door slamming open as he went.

Harry formed unconscious on the couch. Silas relaxed his hold on Boy's door and went to sit with Harry. He knew the young teen didn't know he was there, but he felt he had to stand watch over him anyway.

**xXxXxXx**

Vernon unlocked all the locks on Harry's door and threw it open. He opened his mouth to yell, but he was frozen to the spot as Harry stood in the center of the room, wand aimed dead at Vernon's face, and a demonic smile on his lips.

"Get out of my way or I'll hex you dead," Gabriel whispered fiercely, legs trembling. He felt unbalanced. He never felt anything less than sure of himself, but this man's face provoked a gut deep reaction that couldn't be batted away easily. Gabriel gritted his teeth and stood firm. "Now!"

"You can't! You'll be expelled from that bloody school of yours!" Vernon took a step into the room, but he stopped again when Harry began to laugh.

"You think I care about that now? I'd rather die than let you touch me. Let them expel me. I don't care. As long as you're in the lowest pit of Hell first!"

Vernon's face turned purple, but he moved out of the way.

Gabriel stalked forward, his wand still raised. He stepped out of the room backward so he didn't have to face away from the monster. He walked downstairs sideways for the same reason. Petunia covered her mouth in shock when she saw him, and he pointed his wand at her. She rushed into the kitchen and slammed the door.

Gabriel maneuvered the cupboard door open with his foot and flipped his trunk open with one hand. It only took him a moment to find the handle of their broom and feel around for the soft material of their father's cloak. Their things in hand, he faced his uncle who blacked the hallway to the front door.

The back door was closer, but he'd have to get into the kitchen where Petunia was hiding and doing god knew what. She could have armed herself with the frying pan again, so he walked toward their uncle, fighting the revulsion that rose up in him, making him want to puke. Vernon was purple with rage, his meaty hands visibly shook, but he didn't reach out or speak as Gabriel slipped passed him.

Laughing in triumph, Gabriel mounted their broom and threw the cloak over himself, disappearing from view. Just was he kicked off, Silas took over. He frowned at Hedwig, who was following close beside him, letter still clasped in her beak. With a frustrated growl, he slipped his arm out from under the cloak and snagged the letter.

“This better have been worth it,” he muttered.

Balancing carefully on his broom under the cloak, he slit the envelope and pulled out a rather long letter. He frowned deeply. It was from Hermione.

_Dear Harry,_

_Ron wrote to me and told me about his phone call to your uncle. I do hope you're alright_ (And if I wasn't, I'm sure this letter would have helped greatly, Silas thought with a sneer.) _I'm on holiday in France…_ (Blah, blah, blah, he skipped a large chunk.) _… but then Hedwig turned up! I guess she thinks you could use a letter…_ (Blah, blah.) _… I'll write you again when I send you your birthday present. See you on the Hogwarts Express on September first._

_Love from,_

_Hermione_

Silas stuffed the useless letter into his pocket angrily. He took back every nice thing he had ever thought about her intelligence. Stupid girl! She hopes Harry is alright? What good were hopes if he wasn't? If she was worried, she find a way to make sure Harry was okay!

Hedwig flew into view, coasting alongside him, obviously enjoying the flight.

Silas glared hotly, but of course he was invisible and the bird didn't notice. "Was that really necessary, Hedwig?" he demanded. "You know not to come to the house when the sun is still up."

She hooted happily.

“You're lucky Harry cares about you,” he muttered darkly, thing about swerving to 'accidentally' knock her from the sky.

**xXxXxXx**

_Professor Snape,_

_I wouldn't write you were it not an emergency. My life was in danger and I fled my home. I am uncertain of my location. Please follow my owl and retrieve me. It is important that you come alone and tell no one as of yet about this difficulty. I assure you that the reasons behind this will become clear._

_A student in need._

"Hedwig," Silas called hoarsely. "Come."

Hedwig obeyed and he gave her the letter. She took it and nipped at his fingers affectionately.

Silas pet her once only because he was obliged to for Harry. "Take that to Professor Snape. Lead him here."

As she flew off, Silas ignored Gabriel's enraged ranting and snuck across the street to a convenience store. He used the bathroom to thirstily drink from the facet. He grimaced at being brought so low, but their survival was more important. Feeling better, he returned to the alley Hedwig had left him in and rested against the wall.

An hour later Professor Snape appeared. He strode from the gloom, the white snowy owl flying before him. His wand was out, down by his leg, and hidden from Muggle view should any be looking. His eyes glittered with suspicion and malice as he approached the dark alley. Silas was tense with strain. Harry had been suppressed for too long and was now pressing to get Out, but their Host couldn't be allowed to wake clueless in an alley in front of the Head of Slytherin. He was already uncomfortable with his memory lapses as it was.

"Show yourself," the professor demanded in a cold, silky voice.

Silas stepped forward, posture ramrod straight. "Thank you for coming, Professor."

" _Potter_? What is the meaning of this?" Professor Snape stalked closer, his eyes burning with rage. "What are you doing here?"

"I don't have much time. I need your help rather desperately." Silas grimaced at this admission, but again survival came before pride. "I will be brief. I am not who you think I am. Rather, I am only a piece of who you think I am. Due to certain events, Harry Potter's mind broke and his soul fractured into separate identities. I am Silas, and I know you don't believe me, but can you take the risk of making a decision on the belief I am not telling the truth and later find out that I am? Give us a day to prove I am telling the truth, and if I am lying, you can drag us before Dumbledore and back to the Dursleys if you wish, but if it's true, you will give us a place to hide from everyone until Hogwarts starts again."

Professor Snape's face had fallen blank. He knew the Potter brat well, or at least he thought so. This was not how the boy spoke, held himself, or even thought. He was intrigued, so he nodded.

"I need a wizard's oath," Silas said tightly, beginning losing his hold on consciousness. Another personality was about to surface. "You will swear to keep our condition and location a secret for a day. If you believe I am lying, the oath will be void. If I am telling the truth, the oath will continue until September first arrives."

Severus hesitated, but he could see the iron control in the boy slipping. He didn't have much time. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at his own heart. He chanted the charm and then repeated the terms of the oath before lowering it.

Silas smiled ironically. "You may want to knock us out now. Unless you want to deal with a hysterical Harry."

Without hesitation, Severus cast a Stupefy and caught the unconscious child in his arms. He blinked in surprise. While he had been talking to Harry, or Silas or whoever, he had forgotten just how young the boy was. He grimaced and lifted the child securely in his arms before stepping into the dark shadows of the alley and Apparating away.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas groaned as Gabriel burst into his bedroom, barely giving him time to realize he was back Inside.

"What do you think you're doing?" Gabriel demanded hotly. "I don't trust Snape! Neither does Harry!"

Silas sat up and put his back to the headboard. "Actually, Harry is ambivalent about the professor since _Dumbledore_ ," he sneered the name in disgust, "told Harry he trusted him implicitly. And I did what I had to. We need somewhere safe. Voldemort and his followers are after us, if you've forgotten, and we can't just go anywhere. Nor could we stay at the Dursley's. Our life was in danger there. There was no other trustworthy and powerful wizard or witch that I could contact without immediately letting _Dumbledore_ know exactly where we are."

"Don't say his name like that," Gabriel growled. "I think we overacted. When he said _Lockhart,"_ that name Gabriel said hatefully and with relish, "was impaled on his own sword I think he meant the Obliviate he had cast at Ron. I don't think Dumbledore was implying he knew the professor was a fake all along. There was no way he could have known what that _bastard_ was doing to Harry."

"Don't be naïve." Silas stood stiffly and stared at the other as if he were scum at the bottom of a pond.

"I don't trust Snape, Silas!" Gabriel returned to the more pertinent issue. "I say we leave as soon as Harry's conscious!"

"No," Silas snapped, but then he relented, knowing Gabriel would only fight harder if Silas dismissed his concerns. "I didn't say we'd tell him everything about us. For starters, Demon is not to be mentioned at all. Nor Kit, I think."

"Nothing about the Dursleys," Gabriel demanded, determined to gain ground in the unwelcome situation.

"This will be hard to explain otherwise," Silas said with a sardonic gesture around the soul room.

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Gabriel spat before stalking off.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke in a luxurious four poster bed. The sheets were a dark blue and the comforter so thick and full of down he almost thought he was swimming in them. The room was huge with a very large window letting in the morning sunlight. The carpet was black, of all colors, and the walls were cream, as were the curtains that were pulled aside from the window. There was no other furniture beside the bed. And there were only two dark, elaborately carved doors.

Harry's heart stopped and he stared in shock. In one of the doorways stood Professor Snape. Harry just gaped stupidly for two long minutes until the professor strode across the room and stopped by the bed. Harry found himself leaning away. He swallowed loudly, eyes still huge as saucers.

"P-professor? What… where…" He shook his head and fell silent.

Severus studied the boy. He seemed completely bewildered. As a spy, he was an expert on body language and picking up cues from the sound of people's voice. He didn't think the child was lying. Still, to be sure, he spoke harshly and with all the malice he could muster. "What is the last thing you remember, _Potter_?"

"I – I don't… I mean…" Harry was breathing fast. "Hedwig! She… she came to the Dursley's… It was late afternoon."

"You think this is a _joke_?" Severus whispered harshly. The boy's eyes widened further. "Do you think you can just pretend not to _remember_ and not suffer the _consequences_ of your actions?"

The boy's eyes and shoulders tensed rigidly for a split second, then the most horrible look passed over the boy's features. The child jerked away so violently he fell off the bed. Severus strode to the other side and stopped in shock. Potter was curled up in a protective ball, whimpering and sobbing in terror. Severus called to him, but he got no response. He knelt and touched the boy's trembling shoulder. Potter flinched violently.

"I'm so sorry. Please. Don't hurt me. I'll be good. Please don't. Don't hurt me, please. I'm so sorry. I won't do it again," the boy begged pitifully.

Severus tried to calm him, but Harry didn't respond to his voice and only grew louder and more hysterical if Severus touched him. So he did the only thing he could. He backed off. Potter rocked himself gently, crying softly. The sound was so full of despair and pain that Severus had to grit his teeth and force himself to stay in the room. Eventually, the boy stilled and seemed to collapse in on himself before almost shrugging and getting smoothly to his feet.

Silas met the professor's watchful gaze. He didn't speak. He waited for the professor to gather his thoughts and ask him something. He didn't have to wait long.

"Silas, I presume," Severus drawled.

"Correct." Silas smirked and gave a half bow. "At your service."

"What was that?" the professor asked as he gestured to the floor.

"That was Boy.” Silas rolled his eyes, but his heart wasn't really in it. There was nothing funny about Boy. “Not a very original name, I know."

Severus pierced the child with his dark eyes. "Why is he like that?"

"I'm not at liberty to explain as of yet.” Silas crossed his arms and met the professor's stare. “Others don't want me talking about it."

Severus frowned. He was beginning to believe and that scared him. It really did. "How many of you are there?"

"Five counting Harry," Silas lied. Demon and Kit had to be kept secret.

Narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, Severus wisely let the lie pass. "Harry is the core personality? What does that mean?"

"He is the Host mind. We were born from him and can only come Out when he is sleeping or if he willingly retreats."

"Why did you contact me?" Severus crossed his arms mirroring Silas's pose and fixed the teen with his hardest glare.

"I don't trust Dumbledore." Silas tried hard to keep the sneer from his voice. He was uncertain of the depth of the professor's loyalty to the old bastard and he didn't need to provoke the man sheltering them. "Harry is ignorant of us, but he has become aware of his black outs due to the events at the end of school. It's causing him stress. We have to figure out what to do about it."

"You want to help him?" Severus wasn't sure he understood.

"Yes. That is what we are here for in a way." Silas sighed. "Without him, there is no us. He can't be allowed to fall apart. And I don't think there can be many more fractures without it breaking all of us completely."

Severus shook his head in disbelief. "And all you want from me is a safe haven."

Silas hesitated before answering, "Yes."

"Hmmm." Severus looked the child up and down. "I don't think so. Tell the truth."

Silas sighed. "Not all of us are in agreement on our next step. But I, personally, would appreciate help. I've studied long hours, but never found anything at Hogwarts that came close to describing our condition or what to do about it."

"I see." Severus gestured to the bed and Silas sat, his face expressionless. Snape was impressed; the boy would do the Slytherins proud. "I can tell you this. I have studied psychology to help further my own ambitions. My knowledge has come mostly from Muggle sources. Wizards have no problem studying philosophical things like the soul, but the mind is something they don't really consider past the fact that it holds memories and is the seat of a person's will. If, and I mean _if_ , you have the condition you are suggesting you have, it is called Dissociative Identity Disorder. It is a psychological coping method and is the result of extremely traumatic events. Not even the Muggles are sure that the condition is genuine. Many people fake it."

Green eyes bright with interest and hungry for knowledge, Silas asked, "Do you have any books on this subject?"

"I do. But I will not let you see them until I am certain of your sincerity. I will not give you more tools to counterfeit it better. Understand?"

"Then what do you suggest?" Silas sneered.

Severus smiled tightly. "I will observe you for a few days. Should I feel you truly have this psychological condition, then I will allow you access to my books and even my help."

Silas nodded and his posture fell forward as Harry rose to the surface.

Harry blinked. He looked around in confusion. When had he come to sit at the edge of the bed so close to the professor? Reluctantly, he turned his head to meet the black-eyed gaze boring into him. Severus watched impassively as the boy began to fidget nervously, something 'Silas' would never do.

"You will be staying here for a few days. This is my home. Respect it or you will regret it, Potter. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," he answered. "But… ummm… why am I here?"

Severus stood, expression and voice neutral. "Call for Omi should you need anything to eat. There are clothes that have been charmed to fit you in the closet." He gestured to the other door and then to the one he had entered through. "The door across the hall is a bathroom. Do not enter any room that has the door closed. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," Harry sighed, resigned. He knew he'd be getting no answers from the professor.

"Good." Severus turned and left Harry sitting morosely.

Harry didn't know what to do. He had no idea what was going on. Looking nervously down at the huge rags he wore, Harry considered changing as the professor had suggested, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The clothes in the closet weren't his and he cringed at the thought of setting the professor off, so he didn't explore either. He just sat on his bed and waited.

**xXxXxXx**

A couple of hours later, Omi, a male house-elf, made a table and a single chair appear. Plates of steaming roast and vegetables appeared on it a second later. The elf bowed and disappeared. Harry approached the table slowly, but he was hungry so he didn't hesitate to sit and begin eating. As soon as he finished it, a salad appeared. Harry ate that as well. Dessert followed. He took one bite and...

Kitten purred around the mouthful of melted chocolate and moist fluffy cake. She leaned toward the table and savored every single bite. Her eyes closed as shiver of pleasure went down her spine and she moaned. Grinning and breathing deeply, she licked the spoon slowly before taking another bite.

"Soooo good," she said huskily.

It took her almost an hour to finish the dish, and when the last of the chocolate was gone, she fell back purring contentedly as Harry woke again. He blinked at the spotless plate in front of him and jumped when it suddenly disappeared. With a strained sigh, he stood and went back to bed. He really needed to get some sleep.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas didn't wait long. As soon as Harry was deeply asleep, he slipped Out. The room was dark, but he had no trouble adjusting his eyes. He padded across the room and slipped into the hallway. He didn't hunch over or creep along. Instead, he walked on silent feet, standing loose and relaxed, his gait smooth. He had learned that creeping and hunched movements drew attention, as it alarmed any who might see whereas smooth and casual movements would be dismissed as a shadow shifting or something equally non-threatening.

There were two reasons for his being about. He wanted to scout the new territory and he wanted to find the library. He quickly learned that the professor's house was large but not unduly so. Most of the doors were firmly shut and Silas didn't even try to enter. He counted eight doors on the second floor. The only two doors open were the one that opened to the room Professor Snape had given to him to use and the bathroom across the hall from it.

Silas slipped downstairs and found all but one door open. There was a large kitchen, a sitting room, a dining room, and finally a moderately sized library. Silas pulled one of the books off the shelf, but it was charmed to stay shut. He hesitated before putting it back and trying another. It was no use. They all were locked shut. With a shrug, he grabbed the first book and tapped it with their wand, muttering under his breath all the while. It took three minutes before Silas had it opened. Smirking in satisfaction, he curled up next to a candle he spelled alight and read.

**xXxXxXx**

The next day Harry stayed in the room. Kitten didn't come Out again, sleeping peacefully. Boy, Rose, and Gabriel stayed In as well. Harry had long since stopped fretting. He was too bored to really get worked up over the situation. He never saw Snape. It was as if he were at the house alone.

He did eventually put on fresh clothes. The slacks and soft cotton white t-shirt didn't fit perfectly, but they were better than Dudley's old clothes by far. He had also explored the first floor, but he didn't dare go downstairs. He wasn't sure he had permission. It wasn't like Snape could shut a door to tell him not to, so he sat and did nothing but fret and become increasingly bored.

By nightfall, Gabriel had had enough. He pushed Out and stood with a purposeful stance, his feet braced and his shoulders squared off in determination. He threw his head back and roared, "SNAPE!" Glaring, he stalked from the room, his wand in his steady fingers. With a swish, he blew open every shut door he passed. He barely looked the room over before stalking on. He didn't give a rat's ass about the professor's damn secret rooms! He just wanted to find Snape so he could tear him a new one.

Snape wasn't on the second floor, so Gabriel made his way downstairs. He stalked through the open rooms before standing at the only closed door on the first floor. With a violent slash, the door blew open. Sure enough, the professor was inside sitting behind a desk. The man rose casually and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring evilly. Gabriel smiled in anticipation and stalked inside the spacious office.

"What do you think you're doing?" Severus barked. "Are you completely brain dead or did you not see that the door was shut?"

Gabriel smiled and raised his wand. "Not any more."

Severus tensed, but he kept his face blank and his hand away from his own wand. Not that he really needed it, as he had wandless ability.

"I don't know what sadistic little game you're playing, but it ends now," Gabriel promised with a growl. "You either help or you don't. Get off your ass and make a decision already. Harry and I won't wait around any longer."

Severus stared into the teens flashing emerald eyes. It was disturbing to be staring into Harry's face and hear the boy refer to himself in the third person. He pushed past that discomfort and really looked at the teen before him.

This boy was strong and capable. There was no doubt about that. He had been watching Harry every minute through a spy glass these day, and never once had he seen the boy stand or act in this manner. He knew this was for real and felt dread. The precious Boy-Who-Lived was broken and had come to Severus to help fix it. Merlin help him if Severus failed.

"I will help," Severus said softly, his whole demeanor shifting. "Take a seat. Why don't we start by you telling me who you are and what you believe your purpose is?"

Gabriel scrunched his face up as he glared. He hadn't wanted Snape to say that. He wanted the man to refuse and to be able to storm out of this dull place and say 'I told you so' to that insufferable Slytherin over and over again. He considered leaving anyway, but eventually sat.

Severus observed the personality's obvious disappointment, noting it for later.

"I'm Gabriel," the boy said with a shrug. "I fight, but I don't know if that's a purpose. It was me who took on Voldemort and Quirrell over the Sorcerer's Stone. And I'm the one that saved Ginny and killed the basilisk."

"Quirrell was working for the Dark Lord? How do you know that? And what basilisk?" Severus demanded sharply.

"My, my." Gabriel grinned. He loved having one over on the professor. "I know because Voldemort's face was sticking out the back of Quirrell's head and spoke to me. And it was a basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets."

"Impossible." Severus glared, his hands white from where he clutched at his seat's arm rests. "Basilisks kill. They do not petrify people."

Gabriel shrugged, again looking bored. "All I know is what I fought. You'll have to ask Silas about all the little details."

"Little details," Severus repeated and shook his head. "Fine. Bring him Out."

Gabriel glared, but he did sink back. Severus watched the cocky posture slide into a neutral and wary stance. The face also lost much of its animation, taking up a cool and distant expression. Very Slytherin indeed.

"Hello, Professor." Silas nodded his head. "For your help, we are in your debt."

"We shall see. Now explain. You do know what I was speaking to Gabriel about?"

"I do. I am able to watch the events that happen while Harry, Gabriel, and Rose are Out. Gabriel is like me, but Harry and Rose sleep while Inside. They are only aware of what happens when they, personally, are Out. Gabriel and I only know general information about the ones we can not observe. For example, I know Boy has been hurt, but I don't know what hurt him. As for your questions, the basilisk was weak, having only small animals to feed on for at least fifty years. Add this physical weakness to the fact that none of those attacked saw the basilisk without a buffer, and you get victims that are merely petrified and not killed. Norris was looking in a puddle of water, Colin through his camera, the girls in a mirror, ect."

"I see," Severus said darkly. "And you just killed this monster?"

"Not I, no," Silas sneered. "I wanted to throw Lockhart into the Chamber and then go to a professor with what we knew, but Gabriel _had_ to go down there. He believed if he didn't go right then, Ginny would die. He literally couldn't allow that to happen. In my opinion, he is the Boy-Who-Lived, the hero. He has to save people and protect them, even when the odds say it is a suicide mission. Basically he is the perfect moronic Gryffindor."

Severus was just barely coming to terms with Potter's insanity. To hear about basilisks and _the Dark Lord_ so casually was almost too much to absorb. "So Gabriel killed a basilisk all by himself? Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe, but it is true." Silas narrowed his eyes warningly. "The corpse is rotting in the Chamber. If it becomes necessary, I can always take you there. And Gabriel may be a moron, but he has superb reflexes and instincts. He is an excellent duelist with extensive knowledge in Defense. Both he and I are much further along in our studies than other second years. That is the only reason why we still live."

"And what do you think your purpose is?" Severus asked stiffly. He didn't appreciate being talked down to at all, especially from a boy not yet thirteen years of age.

"I keep track of the others and guide Harry. I am logical, hungry for knowledge so that we are ready for any situation, and prefer not to put ourselves at risk. I'm manipulative and ruthless. Basically I am Harry's Slytherin qualities. He was horrified when the Sorting Hat told him he'd do well in Slytherin. He'd been told all Slytherins were bad and Voldemort was one. He broke and I was born. Similarly, in second year when he found out Parseltongue was 'evil', he rejected that talent as well. Now only I can use it."

Severus was shocked. The hat had wanted Harry in Slytherin? Well, that explained why Silas kept reminding him of his snakes. "What about the others?"

"I will do it chronologically." Silas lifted his first finger. "There is Boy. I don't know when he became an individual separate from Harry. He sleeps until Harry becomes very afraid or in a lot of pain. Then there is Rose." He lifted a second finger.

"Rose? You mentioned her already. She is a girl, I presume?" Severus asked curiously.

"There are two female personalities." Silas smiled bitterly, but then he became neutral again. "Rose is deaf. She came into being to please Petunia while still protecting Harry from our aunt's verbal abuse. She is eager to make everyone happy and spends her time cleaning, cooking, and gardening under Aunt Petunia's tutelage and attention.”

Silas lifted a third finger. "I was born at Harry's Sorting. I already explained that.” A forth finger. “Gabriel was born at the end of the school year. Harry felt it was his obligation to protect the Stone when Professor McGonagall brushed of our certain knowledge that it was under attack. At the same time, he was full of doubts. He didn't believe he could stop what was happening. He broke under the pressure. His need to protect and save others, his confidence, combat skill, and Defense knowledge became Gabriel.” He displayed all five fingers. “Plus Harry makes five.”

Severus regarded the boy across from him silently for a long minute. “And which of you _lingered_ over dessert last night?”

Silas went tense. His expression going even more emotionless.

“How can I help you if you don't meet me halfway?” Severus said softly, persuasively. “Tell me this, and let me prove to you I can be trusted.” Meeting the boy's guarded eyes, he added, “Please.”

"There is one more,” Silas whispered slowly. “Kitten, though Gabriel and I loath the name and call her Kit."

Solemnly, carefully, Severus asked, "How did she form?"

Silas sat silently and stared off to the side. Finally he spoke, "I am not at liberty to say."

"I need to understand if I am to help."

"I can't say." Silas shook his head. His eyes telling the professor that this wasn't a subject that could be met head on. He'd have to stalk it from the side.

Severus nodded to show he understood and continued, "This is what I know. In order for this condition to be healed, the core personality, Harry, will have to come to terms with all of you, accept you for who you are, and allow you back into himself. I believe the longer the personality exists as an individual the harder this merge will be, so I think we should start backward."

Silas smiled tightly, green eyes hard as diamonds. "With Kit."

Severus bowed his head, his lanky black hair falling around his face. "Yes."

Silas frowned grimly. "We won't agree."

"Who?" Severus asked carefully.

"Gabriel and I. Since Harry is ignorant, Gabriel and I make the decisions concerning the others and guide Harry in making choices about the future. No one else is conscious enough to participate in any type of decision making."

"But your opinions weigh more than Gabriel's," Severus observed. "He didn't want to come here or have me know about your complex condition."

"No. He didn't," Silas acknowledged. "I am the planner between the two of us. Gabriel runs more on instincts and reactions. I am usually able to sway the overall decision for that reason, but we both feel passionately about keeping Kit secret."

"Very well." Severus leaned back and crossed his hands over his stomach. "The first step, in any case, is explaining to Harry what DID is. Once he comes to terms with the knowledge of having the condition, we will then discuss the direction his therapy will take. You and Gabriel will not go against Harry's decision?"

"No. Harry is the ultimate authority over us, though that doesn't mean we will not be trying to influence him by whispering in his ear, so to speak." Silas smiled slyly.

"Of course." Severus smiled back. "Well. I believe we should get started. Let Harry come, and try not to let any others Out for a while. He will become distressed. Let him. He will need time to come to grips with all of this."

"We will try," Silas agreed and faded back.

**Chapter end.**

**A/N:** What do you guys think? Too much dialogue? I'm afraid that's not going to change for a few more chapters yet, but I promise there will be action eventually.

 


	5. Not Alone

**Not Alone**

Harry blinked and then frowned as he realized he was in an unfamiliar room with the professor. His hands clenched in his lap and he stared down at them feeling frightened, angry, and confused.

Severus watched him for a minute and felt vaguely sympathetic. He shook himself. No. He was merely curious. Yes, this was a rare psychological condition, and to be able to study it was fascinating. Nodding internally, he cleared his throat. "Mr. Potter, I believe you have questions."

Harry looked up, hope in his green eyes along with fear. "Yes, sir. Ummm… where are we?"

"We are at my private home," Severus answered easily, allowing Harry to stall. It would be better for the boy to be as relaxed as possible anyway. "No one knows of its existence except for a select few. Not even Dumbledore knows of this place. Most believe I reside at Snape Manor instead of here."

"The headmaster doesn't know I'm here?" Harry asked wide-eyed.

"No, he doesn't." Severus smirked as the boy grew nervous. "I'm not going to eat you, Potter. Don't fret. You are safe here."

"Safe from who, Professor?" Harry swallowed hard.

"Safe from whom,” Severus corrected. He gave a stiff smile. “And Death Eaters, of course. If what I've been told is true, then you are also safe from Voldemort himself within these walls." He watched the boy pale slightly at these words. It made him wonder just how much the others had kept from Harry. "Enough small talk. There is a reason why you are here. You've been suffering from memory lapses, is that not correct, Mr. Potter?"

Green eyes wide under messy black bangs, Harry whispered, "Yes."

"I will be helping you with these. That is why the headmaster does not know your location. I believed you would want to keep this as private as possible."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said uncertainly. He was amazed that the professor was treating him as well as he was. "But… ummm... why are you helping me?"

"It is because I have the ability and the means." Severus waved that away. "You will not find help for this particular condition anywhere else in the wizarding world. I'm sure you could find help in the muggle one, but, again, you have safety issues to consider."

"Condition, sir?" Harry leaned forward, hands clutching his knees. "What's wrong with me?"

"Mr. Potter…" Severus considered the boy before him. "I believe that is inappropriate now, isn't it? If I am to help you, we need to be able to trust each other. Therefore I suggest we call each other by name. Are we agreed, Harry?"

"Oh… ummm… You mean, call you Snape?" Harry bit his lip.

Severus smirked. "I was thinking Severus actually."

"Oh, okay." Harry looked shyly at his lap before raising his eyes again. "So… ummm… about my condition?"

"Yes." Severus leaned back and began to speak surely, but softly. "Harry, you have a rare condition where your mind has divided to protect itself. It's called Dissociative Identity Disorder. That means your personality has… hmmm… fractured. Meaning, certain qualities, wants, and needs have broken away to become independent from your main consciousness."

Harry shook his head, looking dazed. "I don't understand."

"There are parts of you that you are not aware of. These parts have taken names and identities. Sometimes they take over and you are forced back. In other words, during your black outs, one of your other personalities is acting and aware. That is why you have done things you don't remember."

"You're lying," Harry said hoarsely as he jumped to his feet.

"I'm not." Severus stood and came around his desk so that he was standing before the boy. He hesitated but brought his hands up to rest on the boy's tense shoulders. "This doesn't mean you are crazy or incompetent or any other such thing, Harry. It is okay. It will be okay."

"How?" He stared up at the professor with vulnerable, wet green eyes.

Severus winced at the weight of the need in that gaze. "I will help you, Harry. It won't be easy, but I know you can do it." He looked at the clock. "It is almost dinner time. Why don't we eat and then go to the parlor to discuss this some more."

Harry nodded numbly. He felt shaky and sick, and he still wasn't sure what was wrong with him or how he got that way. There was a strange headache building behind his eyes. He felt pinned against his own skull. He hardly noticed what he ate and didn't listen to the professor, if he had spoken at all during the meal, but he became more aware as he followed his teacher toward a sitting room.

"Have a seat, Harry," Severus invited as he gestured to one of the couches.

The professor walked over to the fireplace and took a round bottle off the mantle. With a gesture, he had a clear glass in his hand and began to fill it. His dark eyes watched the sweating and trembling child perched on the very edge of his seat. He sighed and with another gesture had a glass identical to his own in his other hand, but it was already filled with a thick, light-blue liquid. He walked over and handed it to the distraught child.

"Drink."

Harry eyed the professor, but he obeyed. Immediately he felt himself relaxing and growing calm. His thoughts cleared and he felt ready to listen and eager to understand. He looked up with a small, grateful smile. Severus nodded and sat in a thickly padded seat across from Harry.

"I have a book that explains your condition," he offered. "Would you like to read it and ask me questions later, or do you think you would rather I try and help you understand?"

"Ummm… Can I have both?" Harry asked as he ducked his head nervously. He had learned that it was pointless to ask for things from the Dursleys, but felt he might as well give it a shot here.

"You may." Severus nodded. He sat thoughtfully for a moment. "I think I have just the thing."

He rose and walked quickly from the room. Harry fidgeted, but he didn't have long to wait. Severus came back into the room, a triumphant glitter in his eyes. In his hands was a carved box. He took his seat and opened it. Harry leaned forward to see what was in it, but Snape shut it before he could peak around the lid. Harry stared at the fist sized multifaceted crystal in the man's hand and lost interest completely in the box that Snape had set on the floor by his chair.

"This is a quartz crystal," Severus explained to the attentive boy and smirked. If only he had such a focused audience when he taught potions. "It is solid and complete. Are we agreed?" Harry nodded his head. "Good. Now what if I did this?" Colors began to swirl around within it, mixing and harmonizing.

"Wow," Harry whispered.

"Yes. It is beautiful. Imagine that when the crystal is clear and empty, it represents the mind of a dead person. The colors and activity within it now make that mind alive and intelligent."

Harry nodded to show he understood. "Okay."

"Now. Something happens that causes mental and emotional damage. Say… a near death accident or something else highly traumatic." The gentle and beautiful swirls became chaotic and choppy. The crystal began to tremble. "This is insanity." Harry's eyes were huge and stricken. Severus spoke reassuringly, "This is not your mind, Harry." His face became very grim. "But it could have been."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked breathlessly.

Severus nodded to the crystal to draw the boy's attention back to it; "Something happened that was traumatic enough to turn your mind to this, but to protect yourself from insanity, it instead did this."

Harry watched as the colors and activity went back to 'normal'. He watched as they went berserk again, but instead of settling into the choppy chaotic pattern, the colors peeled away from each other instead. Now the six colors were swirling peacefully, but were no longer mixed. Sometimes they would rotate around so that a different patch of color faced him. Harry began to understand. Severus nodded, seeing this.

"Yes. Each of the colors, once a part of a whole, are now separate, but the crystal is still one object. It is important for you to understand this, Harry. Though you have separated yourself into multiple pieces, they are all still you. They are not separate people."

"Okay." Harry nodded shakily. "I understand."

"Good. Because it is possible to make all the colors one again." He held up the crystal. The colors, one by one joined each other until they were swirling peacefully back to 'normal'. "The colors are not destroyed when they combine again. They are still ribbons entwined together perfectly to form a cohesive whole. By healing, you will not be killing the other pieces. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Harry leaned back and took his glasses off to rub tiredly at his eyes.

"It is a lot to take in at once," Severus acknowledged. He bent and put the now clear crystal back into the box. "Do you wish to continue this tomorrow?"

"I don't remember coming down here." Harry ignored the professor's question.

"We are on the first floor. You're room is at the top of the stairs to the left."

He sighed. "Does that mean you have met my other personalities? How many are there?"

"I am not certain, but there are at least five others, not counting you."

"Five? Maybe more?" Harry covered his face with his hands. After a minute, he spoke through them. "What did this? I don't remember anything really bad happening to me. Not anything bad enough to do this."

"You wouldn't. The other personalities are there to protect you and help you cope with problems and difficult situations. So any difficult memories will be held with them," Severus explained.

Harry pulled his shaking hands from his face and sighed. "Thank you for helping me, Professor… I mean, Severus. I really appreciate it. Ummm… I'm kind of tired. Do you think we can talk more about this later?"

"Of course, Harry." Severus stood. "I will walk you back to your room."

They walked in silence. When they reached the bedroom, Harry turned to thank the professor one more time, but Severus spoke first. He had a book in his hand and he offered it to the boy. "There is a passage in here that explains DID. If you have any questions or if you'd just like to talk, ask Omi where I am and he will guide you to me or fetch me. Take your time. If you need a day or two on your own, feel free. Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight," Harry answered weakly. He was definitely overwhelmed. He stood there stupidly, just watching his professor walk away. Eventually, he shook himself and walked into the room. There was a nightstand by the bed that hadn't been there before. That made him a bit uncomfortable, but he put the book on it anyway and changed into pajamas. He was asleep as soon as his head was on the pillow.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas wanted to read the book badly, but the professor had been firm about none of them coming Out for a while, and he was sure the man wouldn't be pleased if he did so now. Gabriel smirked over at him, but Silas ignored him. He knew the Gryffindor was having a rough time of it and was just trying to pick a fight. Harry's tension and stress was wearing on all of them.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke slowly. For almost an hour, he just laid in bed watching the play of sunlight on the ceiling, but he knew he was just procrastinating. He really did want to understand what was happening inside him, so with a sigh he rolled out of bed, got dressed, and called Omi for breakfast. After he ate, Harry got back in bed and opened the book to the section that explained his condition.

_Dissociative Idenity Disorder (DID)_

_Also known as Multiple Personality Disorder. When faced with overwhelmingly traumatic situations from which there is no physical escape, a child may resort to "going away" in his or her head. Children typically use this ability as an extremely effective defense against acute physical and emotional pain and/or against the anxious anticipation of that pain. Through this dissociative process, thoughts, feelings, memories, and perceptions of the traumatic experiences are separated off psychologically, allowing the child to function as if the trauma had not occurred._

_Dissociative Disorders are often referred to as a highly creative survival technique because they allow individuals enduring "hopeless" circumstances to preserve some areas of healthy functioning. Over time, however, for a child who has been repeatedly physically and sexually assaulted, defensive dissociation becomes reinforced and conditioned. Because the dissociative escape is so effective, children who are very practiced at it may automatically use it whenever they feel threatened or anxious - - even if the anxiety-producing situation is not extreme or abusive._

_Repeated dissociation may result in a series of separate entities, or mental states, which may eventually take on identities of their own. These entities may become the internal "personality states". Changing between these states of consciousness is often described as "switching"._

_DID can be cured through individual psychotherapy, or "talk therapy", as well as other treatment modalities, including medications, hypnotherapy, and adjunctive therapies such as art or movement therapy. The course of treatment is long-term, intensive, and invariably painful, as it involves remembering and reclaiming the dissociated traumatic experiences._

Harry closed the book and took a deep breath. It didn't help. He still felt like he couldn't breathe. Snape had mentioned it last night, but only after reading it for himself did he truly understand the implications. His disorder was caused by severe traumatic situations. In other words, ongoing abuse. That meant… that meant the Dursleys… Harry curled up into a ball, his head pounding.

The Dursleys hadn't just ignored and neglected him.

They had abused him, and he couldn't even remember.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus had expected Harry to need several days to himself to come to terms with everything, but Omi came to tell him that Harry was asking for him only two days later. Yesterday, he had devoted his time to drawing up an outline for Harry's treatment, but he was still feeling distinctly uneasy.

As Head of Slytherin House, he was highly qualified to treat dissociative disorders. Slytherins were often taught at an early age to wear a 'mask' in public, and this 'mask' usually became a protection when they came face-to-face with the Slytherin prejudice at school. This made them highly susceptible to such disorders, but Harry had the most severe case he had ever been faced with.

He took a deep fortifying breath. He knew what Harry needed, and he had the experience that would help him give the child the help he needed without creating further damage or dependencies. Nodding firmly and wrapping calm confidence around himself, Severus descended to the dinning room. Harry was already seated and waiting patiently for him.

"Good morning, Harry," Severus said neutrally as he took his seat.

"Good morning, Professor."

"Severus, Harry. Call me Severus." He smiled faintly and the food appeared on the table. They ate silently. When they were finished, he stood and gestured to the door. "Do you wish to talk in the parlor or some other location?"

"Ummm… Parlor is fine," Harry answered as he approached his teacher.

Severus nodded and led the way there. They took up the same seats they had two nights ago. Harry sat stiffly, but he looked calm. Severus leaned back in his chair and waited a minute before beginning. "Do you have any questions or should we talk about what we're going to do to help you?"

"No questions, sir," Harry spoke, looking into his lap.

"Harry." Severus leaned forward intently. "This is fixable, but you have to want it. You have to want to be whole again. It is okay to be frightened or angry or any other emotion. What isn't okay is not facing it."

"Yes, sir." Harry nodded and lifted his head so that he was looking his teacher in the face. "I do want to get better. I really want my memories back. This is my life and I have to know what's happened to me."

"Good." Severus nodded. "Then let's begin. I want you to understand that we are in this together. If you have an idea that you think will help you come to terms with the past and yourself, and think your idea is better than the one I suggest, speak up. I want to help you, but you know yourself better than I do. On the other hand, I have watched other people go through the process that you are about to begin, so I may insist on a certain method you may disagree with. I will explain my reasoning and listen to your objections, but if I still insist, you will need to trust me. Can you trust me, Harry?"

Harry nodded, but spoke when Severus raised an eyebrow. "Yes, sir."

"Very well. The first step is to map your alters or other personalities. Of course you can't do that yourself, so I will meet each one and then tell you about them. Then we will concentrate on the last born alter and try to return it to you. Basically we'll be doing a lot of talking about how you feel and how the alter feels, and trying to neutralize any conflicting tension. It won't happen at once. This will take a long time; months possibly. It will be hard and uncomfortable. There is a reason why you dissociated the things the alter represents, but I will teach you better coping methods than separating yourself from the problem or your feelings."

Harry nodded again, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. "Okay."

Severus noticed that though the boy's eyes looked tired, they were also determined, so he continued. "Before we get into any of that, I want you to know that you are safe here and will be remaining until school starts. There are rules. The first rule is not to go into a room that has a shut door, but I will tell you now that the only door that will remain shut after today is the one to my bedroom. I will leave the doors to all the other rooms in the house open. You are free to explore and use anything you find. If I am in a room and have shut the door, please knock first. If I do not answer, give me space. If it is an emergency, say so, and I will be right with you. I will be cross if you need help and don't get me. Understand?"

Harry smiled shyly. "Yes."

"The door rule applies to me as well. If you need space, shut a door. I will not intrude unless it is an emergency. However, there will be no locking of any doors. Shutting it is enough to get the message across. Also, I will not enter the bedroom you occupy unless you are there and I have your permission. That room is yours as long as you stay here. You may change the colors of any decorations and add furniture. Just speak to Omi."

"Sir! You don't have to do that!" Harry's eyes were wide with surprise.

"I do," Severus answered easily. "I want to. This is my house and I can do as I please with it. The room is yours, Harry, and that is final. And I'm Severus, remember?"

"Thank you, Severus," Harry whispered, looking away with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"You are welcome." He smiled and then continued on. It was best to get everything on the table. "The main goal of your time here will be your therapy, but it isn't good for you to focus solely on that. You will be here until school starts and I will expect you to do your school work and get a certain amount of physical exercise daily. When you finish your homework, I want you to pick a subject or skill that interests you and I will tutor you as best I can. I have removed the locking charms on most of the library books, but not on all of them. The few books still locked, I ask you not to read or mess with."

"I won't," Harry assured.

"We're doing well so far." Severus smirked and Harry giggled nervously. "As for physical exercise, you may not fly. The wards that protect this place do not extend past the house's external walls, but I do have an exercise room and a game room upstairs. All the games are designed to enhance reflexes and coordination. Also, you will eat every day. Omi is in charge of that. I warn you, should you skip a meal, the ones after will be larger in proportion. Leaving food on your plate is looked down upon. Is this all agreeable?"

"Yes, Severus." Harry smiled. He didn't mind anything so far. In fact, knowing he would have a break from all this psychological stuff made him feel lighter and more confident. Maybe he _could_ get through this.

"I think that covers it. Do you wish to add any rules?"

He thought about it. "Can you take House points from me?"

Severus scowled playfully. "No. Unfortunately."

Harry grinned. "Then I think I'm good."

"Do you want to begin mapping your alters? Or would you rather start on your school work and get exercise?"

Harry twisted the end of his shirt in his hands. "About that. I don't have any of my school things."

"That's right. Hmmm… I could fetch them under a disguise. Where is your former residence?"

"Number 4, Privet Drive, Surrey," Harry answered anxiously.

Severus noticed. "You do not have to be upset. I give you my word they will never know I was there."

"Okay." Harry nodded. "But I think I'd rather start the mapping anyway."

"Alright. Since you are not aware of the other alters and have no means of communicating with them, I will try and call forth one who has more knowledge. You must be sure you want to know all of them or your alters will give me difficulties and hide information."

"I'm sure. I trust you." Harry smiled brightly. "No one has wanted to help me like this before. I really appreciate it, Pro… Severus."

"It is no problem, Harry," Severus answered softly. "Then lean back against the couch. Close your eyes and allow yourself to relax. Drift off to sleep."

Harry did as he was told. In minutes, his breathing deepened and slowly his body relaxed. Severus waited patiently. He wasn't surprised when Harry opened his eyes and sat up calmly. It was Silas.

Severus nodded. "I need you to be honest this time around," he said as he summoned parchment and a quill. "Let's start backwards and work our way to the oldest of you."

Silas didn't respond at first. He guardedly studied the man before him. It had been his idea to go to the professor in the first place, and he didn't regret that decision. Not only was the teacher giving them the help they needed to restore balance and mental health, but he was offering to teach them things they wouldn't necessarily be able to learn at Hogwarts. However, that didn't stop him from feeling reservations. The memories Kit held weren't going to be pleasant, but Harry had made his decision, so he began to talk about each alter. However, he still kept Demon a secret.

When Silas finally fell silent, Severus nodded his thanks.

"And so it begins," Silas said, smiling wryly.

"So it does," Severus agreed.

"Am I suppose to continue to try and keep the others from coming Out?"

Severus stared at the boy thoughtfully. "I don't think it would be a good idea to suppress the others until they are restless and more likely to do something extreme. It would be best if the alters, including you, only came Out when necessary though. But consider that Harry will be held responsible for the actions of all of you."

"I understand. You are trying to reinforce the idea that we are the same person," Silas answered, looking at the professor from the corner of his eye. "The alters are not to be encouraged to have independence, isn't that right?"

"Does this cause you concern?" Severus asked neutrally.

"Yes and no," Silas answered ambiguously and slipped back In.

Severus sighed and waited for Harry to blink the confusion out of his eyes.

"Did it work?" the boy asked nervously.

"It did. I met an alter who named himself Silas. It seems he and Gabriel are aware of the others and share in your experiences. The other four sleep until they surface."

"Five? I have five alters?" Harry asked, eyeing the papers in Severus' hands curiously.

"Yes." Although Severus was still not sure about that. Something still felt like it was missing.

"Is that a lot?"

Severus ran a hand through his hair and looked at the boy frankly. "There are not very many documented cases of this condition, and there are doubts to the veracity of the ones that are documented, so there isn't anything concretely known about this condition. There are reports where people have claimed to have up to 16 and others where there was only one alter."

"I understand." Harry sighed. "So what did… ummm, Silas… say?"

Severus showed him the papers. Harry read them. Silas had first described what each alter looked like within the soul room. Then he described what their mentality and purpose was. Last, he described their magical attributes and abilities. Harry was impressed.

"He's really smart, isn't he?"

"He is holding your intelligence and observational skills, among other things, in trust," Severus corrected gently.

Harry nodded absently. "So we're starting with Kit? Is she really a girl? How can I have girls in my head?"

Severus explained the belief that every person had qualities both masculine and feminine. “Even today some activities are deemed more suited to females than males. For example, raising children. Because the woman gives birth, it is assumed they are better at raising the child, so a man who is really good at it may be considered in touch with his feminine side. It doesn't mean they are less manly.”

Harry understood that. "So you're saying that my mind unconsciously made alters appear female when their purpose covered activities that are considered a girl's job?"

Severus nodded. "Essentially, yes. That is my guess."

"I guess that makes sense." Harry bit his lip. "So what do we do? Silas didn't write anything but what she looks like.”

“I suspect she's the one who ate your chocolate dessert the other night,” Severus said carefully. He was not ignorant to why a person would call a child as young as Harry kitten.

“Why would I push that away?"

"That is what we will discover, but not today. It is almost lunch time. We've spent long enough on this. Why don't you read or exercise for a while. I'm going to go get your things. I'll be back by lunch. Is that alright?" Severus asked as he stood.

Harry nodded and stretched. "Yeah."

"Let me make a copy of these so we both have them."

Severus took out his wand and tapped the paper with the notes of the alters. Then he tapped a clean sheet and a second copy was born. Harry smiled gratefully before taking one of the copies for himself. Severus waited for the boy to precede him out of the parlor. Harry turned right to go upstairs while Severus went straight to the front door. As soon as he was outside the wards, he Apparated to Surrey.

Harry of course went straight to the game room. He had to call Omi to lead him. The little elf was happy to do so. When he arrived at the right room, just four doors down from his bedroom, he stood there and gaped. The room was large, but every inch of it was filled with different things. Most looked like strange machinery muggles would have.

"This, young Harry, is called Snitch Hording. It is very good for reflexes, concentration, and hand-eye coordination." Omi beamed as he gestured to the game to the right of the door.

Harry was instantly interested. "What's it do?"

The game had a square silver platform three by three, and in front of it, a sheet of the same sliver rose up seven feet and curved slightly forward like a wave. The elf gestured for him to step up onto the platform and face the silver metal. Harry did so. The metal began to glow faintly and then slowly shift between every shade of every color in the rainbow. It was kind of making him dizzy. Then a gold snitch came zipping at him. Instinctively, he tried to grab it. It disappeared in a quick, small shower of gold sparks.

"You just have to tag them, young Harry. They be coming faster and more of them at one time as you go."

Omi wasn't lying. Soon there were a dozen flying at him or across his field of vision. Harry had to use both hands, sometimes tagging two at once with different fingers of the same hand. One after another, Harry hit them with his fingertips, making them flare and die the instant he touched them. Suddenly, the snitches doubled in speed and number. He had to block out everything else, his eyes wide to catch any movement. Just when he thought his arms would drop off from fatigue, a bell sounded and the snitches stopped. The metal became silver again and a score appeared. **126, 392 / 17 min 43 sec / High Score!** , it read. Harry looked curiously at the elf.

"Amazing, young Harry!" Omi cried bouncing around excitedly. "I've never seen such a score. The game turns off as soon as you miss ten snitches! Amazing!"

Harry blushed, still trying to catch his breath. "Thanks. Show me the others?"

"Of course!"

There were only four more. One was a four player chess game twice the size of a normal chess board. Omi explained you could play partners or by yourself. The goal was to have the last king standing. Harry shook his head, it looked really complicated. Another game was a large screen on the wall. You stood 15 feet from it and took up the game's toy wand. Targets and enemies appeared on the screen in dozens of different environments and you had to use the wand provided to try and hex them.

The fourth game looked a lot like Snitch Hording, but instead of just one wave panel there were four on each side. Omi explained that images come from all sides and try to tag you, but you had to twist, jump, and dodge within the small space to avoid them. Omi got in to demonstrate when Harry frowned. Soon the twelve year old was hugging his thin arms around his tiny waist, laughing so hard that he was crying. The elf looked like he was a drunken ballet dancer, but none of the images tagged him.

The elf beamed happily at the laughing boy. "It tests your reflexes and reaction times."

"I can see that," Harry gasped, wiping tears from his eyes and brushing his hair from his face.

Omi waited patiently for the boy to get his breath back and to stand. "This is the last one, young Harry!" he said as he bounced over to the next game.

Harry was shocked to realize it was a pool table. He hadn't recognized it at first because it had tall rimmed sides. Omi explained that you moved the Q ball with wandless magic. It took great focus to be able to aim and judge strength. Harry nodded grinning. He knew he'd spend a lot of time in this room.

Directly across the hall was the exercise room. It was a little smaller than the game room, but had all the type of things a muggle gym would have. There was a weight machine, working both arms and legs. A treadmill with a bubble around it that Harry thought might be glass. A punching bag hung in a corner, and across from it was a mat 10 x 15 feet where Harry guessed you could do tumbling or hand-to-hand fighting without getting hurt.

Harry smiled at the house-elf. "It's wonderful."

Omi's ears wiggled in pleasure and he bowed low. "I am glad you be liking it, young Harry. I must go make lunch. It will be done in half an hour."

"Thank you."

The elf popped away and Harry looked at the treadmill. He was curious so he walked over, passing through the glass-like bubble around it easily. Shrugging, he got into position and began to run. He gasped and stopped. He was back in the exercise room.

Eyes wide, Harry took a running step forward and was on the beach again. He could feel the sand at his feet, feel the warmth of it. He could feel the sun and hear the waves. He could taste salt in the air, but as soon as he stopped running, the illusion shattered and he was back in Snape's house.

Laughing, he ran, enjoying the sea and allowing himself to forget Snape and everything else for a little while.

**xXxXxXx**

"Omi!" Severus called as he walked through his front door. The little elf appeared with a pop and he didn't even wait for the elf to answer him before launching into instructions. "Draw me a warm bath. Take this trunk and unshrink it. Leave it sitting outside Harry's room. Do not go in there. In fact, only go in if Harry calls you himself from now on. Don't change the room unless he asks. Including taking his laundry."

"Yes, Master." Omi bowed before disappearing to do as he said.

Severus sighed and made his way to his bedroom and the warm bath waiting. He felt dirty after going to the Dursley's. He had kept his promise to Harry. He hadn't been seen by or spoken to any of the muggles inside, but that didn't stop him from exploring. He shuddered. If you knew how to look, it was very easy to see evidence of abuse. If you knew how, you could even feel the pain that was stored within the walls. It had been thick and cloying. With a sigh, he decided not to think on it. At least not while he was soaking in the bath.

**xXxXxXx**

Lunch was peaceful. Harry was a bit disappointed that Severus wouldn't let him work on his condition, as he'd taken to calling it. The professor insisted that they only spend a couple hours at most on it during a single day, and they had already used that up that morning. So Harry worked on his homework, played in the game room, and explored the house. Snape disappeared, probably in the basement working on some potion or another. They met for dinner and agreed to meet at seven for breakfast and then work on his condition.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry sat on the couch and waited for Severus to speak. It had been hard to not ask what they were going to do while they ate, but Harry had managed to keep his silence. He was nervously excited, but he could feel determination in there somewhere as well. More than anything he wanted to be better, and though he wanted his memories back, it was more the fact that he couldn't stand the idea of something else in control of his body and actions besides his own consciousness.

"Today I'm going to begin teaching you things that you can do when you become upset instead of pushing the situation away and hiding from it."

Harry frowned. "What about Kit?"

"It would be pointless for you to try and access her memories. You don't know how to cope with them or else she wouldn't have been born in the first place. You have to learn coping methods before you can begin to reclaim all she represents," Severus explained seriously, his dark eyes steady. Harry fidgeted, but he nodded that he understood. "This is a journal."

Harry took the thick leather-bound book. It was beautiful. The cover was subtle and soft, the pages were large and flexible. "Thank you, sir," he said softly. This was the most personal thing anyone had ever given to him.

"You are welcome. I recommend you write in it when you are confused, or even to make an account of your journey. There are others with your condition, and it may one day help them should you ever wish to share it. I've had my own for years and I write in it every night before I sleep." Harry nodded. "Now let's try a breathing exercise. It is used mostly in meditation, but it will greatly help you during a panic attack and will keep your head clear even while you are frightened."

"Okay."

For half an hour they practiced. Harry took a deep breath in, held it for a second, and then released it slowly before doing it again. It was harder than it sounded because he had to concentrate on breathing when usually you just breathe without thinking about it at all.

"I think you have the hang of it now. I want you to practice ten minutes a day until it becomes second nature," Severus ordered and Harry nodded. "Now the breathing will help you keep your emotions from overwhelming you, but it won't help you come to terms with what you are dealing with. For that you are going to need a medium to express your feelings and in the process acknowledging them and accepting them. Once you do that, it is easy to solve the problem or clear a path to move past the situation."

"That sounds kinda honky," Harry admitted with a sheepish grin.

"It does." Severus allowed himself a darkly amused smile. "But I assure you it works. Your choices are drawing, painting, learning a musical instrument, singing, or the martial arts."

"I don't know how to do any of those," Harry admitted.

"Well, let's go try them and you tell me which you think you would be able to pour your emotions into most easily."

**Chapter End.**

**A/N1:** The information in the excerpt from the book Harry was reading was taken from a brochure about Dissociative Disorders from the Sidran Foundation.

 


	6. Very Happy Birthday

**Very Happy Birthday**

Severus took Harry to a room he had created last evening. It was full of art supplies and canvases. He let Harry try everything out. The boy was about average with drawing but abysmal with paint. Everything came out abstract, and it frustrated the boy, so Severus led him away. Harry was still trying to wipe off all the lead, charcoal, and paint from his hands and face as they entered the exercise room.

They went over to the mats with the punching back. Severus taught him a few moves and then they practiced. Harry picked up the defense fairly easily, but he was tense and uncomfortable with hand-to-hand. That was reasonable considering what most likely happened at the Dursleys, so Severus called a halt and took the boy to the music room, which was next to Severus's bedroom.

"Close your eyes and just listen to each," Severus ordered and swished his wand.

First came the guitar. Harry listened to several styles. The twangy sounds of the Mexican style were enjoyable, the more classical style was pretty nice, and the folk was upbeat. The music stopped and he shrugged when his teacher gave him a questioning look. They moved over to the violin. Harry liked this one better. It was very beautiful and versatile.

"This one's a maybe," he said with a smile.

They moved on to the cello. It was deep and soulful, but he liked the lighter sounds of the violin better. They turned to the last instrument and Severus swished his wand. Piano music swirled through the air. Harry gasped and an expression of pure pleasure and longing settled on his face. Severus knew that this instrument had touched something in the boy and immediately sat Harry down at the piano and began teaching him scales.

Severus wasn't interested in teaching Harry how to play correctly or have him learn how to read notes. This was something that Harry was suppose to pour his emotions into so that he could work them out and come to terms with them. So Severus corrected wrist positions, finger movement, and posture, but he mostly focused on teaching the boy to memorize the sounds of each key so that he would quickly learn how to play by ear.

He remembered that Lily used to play piano. He'd come early to a meeting once and heard music. He'd followed it to find the redhead playing happily. He wondered if maybe Harry recognized the sound of the piano subconsciously. Lily had to have played for her infant. She'd been very good, and Severus didn't doubt she would have been very pleased that her son was a natural at it. The boy's long, agile fingers were at home on the keys.

…

For a week, Harry and Severus practiced scales every day for four hours after breakfast. It was to the point where Harry was dreaming of the keys. It was tedious and repetitive, but Harry never once complained of his choice - It felt right - but in order to get Harry used to using the instrument as an outlet, Severus had Harry drop everything whenever he felt emotional and go play. He quickly learned that when Harry was confused, he'd go through the scales chaotically, while anger made him stick to the lower scales. The speed at which he played and how forcefully he hit the keys also told Severus a lot about Harry's emotional and mental state.

Harry also wrote in his journal every night before sleeping and practiced the breathing exercise every morning while he took a shower, got dressed, and went down to breakfast. In the afternoon, Harry worked on his homework and then spent an hour in the exercise and game room each.

He adored the game Snitch Hording, but sometimes Severus would join him and they'd play four-man chess. It was very difficult. The chess pieces that didn't have a human to move them moved themselves and were very good. Needless to say Harry never won a game. In fact, Severus had only won once so far out of three games. Harry laughed every time his mentor lost and began grumbling darkly at the board.

Things were going really well. Severus was surprised. Now that he didn't see James when looking at Harry, he found he rather liked the child. He hadn't had such a happy summer in a very long time. He no longer wanted to help Harry because it was his obligation; now he wanted to help because he truly cared. Harry had come to take up a place in his heart that was usually reserved for his Slytherin children.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was jerked out of a deep sleep as Omi called his name. He blinked in the darkness of his room and groped for his glasses. With an irritable yawn, he swished his wand and lights came on. Omi was standing beside his bed, wringing his hands. Harry's sleepy irritation evaporated instantly as worry took its place.

"What's wrong? What's happened?" Harry demanded as he jumped from the bed wearing navy pajamas.

"Master needs to see you in the parlor. He says it is important, but to get dressed first."

Harry frowned, but he did as he was asked. His panic had subsided at least. Snape wouldn't ask him to take time to dress if it were a life or death emergency, but he was still worried so he hurried. He pulled on slacks and a soft-cotton white shirt before chasing after the running elf.

"What time is it, Omi?" he thought to ask.

"Just past midnight, young Harry," Omi answered in a tight little voice.

They raced into the parlor and Harry found it was really dark except for a single candle which Severus was holding. The professor looked expressionless. He was dressed in black slacks and a black button down shirt that was untucked at the moment. His black eyes glittered with something that Harry didn't recognize.

He walked quickly over to him. "What's going on?"

"Happy birthday, Harry," Severus answered softly.

Harry froze in mid-step, his eyes wide as saucers and his mouth dropped open. The lights came on and Omi cheered excitedly. Harry looked around, his heart thudding in his chest painfully. There were red and gold streamers hanging from the walls and draped from the ceiling. All the furniture in the room had been taken out except for the couch, which had been pushed into the corner next to a table laden with presents and a cake.

The cake was white with colorful icing spelling 'Happy 13th Birthday'. Thirteen candles were standing proud, and all of them sparkled like small fireworks. Hedwig hooted and looked very smug and pleased with herself from her perch on the back of the couch. Music began playing softly through the room and it was festive.

Tears spilled over his eyes as he looked to his professor. "Sir. Thank you. I had forgotten," he whispered.

Severus smiled and wrapped an arm around the child's shoulders. "Well, Gabriel remembered and he let me know."

"Gabriel? He came Out? When?" Harry asked, astonished.

"Last night as soon as you fell asleep, he came to my room and told me in no uncertain terms that we had to do something special today."

Harry smiled and turned to wrap his arms around his professor's waist in a brief but tight hug. Severus smiled as he hugged Harry back and then gently pushed the boy to the table with his presents. Harry blushed as he took a seat on the couch, gently stroking Hedwig's feathers. She hooted again and nipped his fingers happily. Omi was jumping up and down excitedly as he handed the boy one of the gifts. Harry picked up the birthday card off the gold wrapped present and began to open it with shaking fingers. Two pieces of paper fell out- a letter and a newspaper clipping.

"It's from Ron," he told the room excitedly as he read the newspaper clipping. It said that Mr. Weasley had won money in a drawing and all the Weasley's were on vacation in Egypt. The picture of them with the desert and a pyramid in the back ground showed them all smiling happily. It looked like they were having a good time. He set it aside and opened the card.

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy birthday!_

_Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted._

_It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the tombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff._

_I couldn't believe it when Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year._

_We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there?_

_Don't let the Muggles get you down! Try and come to London,_

_Ron_

_P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week._

Harry smiled widely and ripped off the gold wrapping of his present. Inside the box was what looked like a miniature glass spinning top. There was another note from Ron under it. It read: 'Harry – this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable because it kept lighting up at diner last night, but he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup. Bye, Ron!'. Harry put it on the table where it stood quite still, balanced on its point, reflecting the colors of the Gryffindor streamers. Harry looked at it happily and grinned at his professor and the joyous elf.

"That's a very nice present, Harry," Severus murmured.

"It is," he agreed. "I like it a lot."

Omi grabbed another present and card, handing them both to Harry. Harry opened the card and immediately recognized the precise handwriting.

"This one's from Hermione."

_Dear Harry,_

_I didn't know how I was going to send your gift to you – what if they'd opened it at customs? – But then Hedwig showed up just like before. She is one smart owl, Harry, and I hope you tell her so. I bought your present by owl-order; there was an advertisement in the Daily Prophet (I've been getting it delivered; it's so good to keep up with what's going on in the wizarding world). Did you see that picture of Ron and his family a week ago? I bet he's learning loads. I'm really jealous – the ancient Egyptian wizards were fascinating._

_Ron says he's going to be in London in the last week of the holidays. Can you make it? Will your Aunt and Uncle let you come? I really hope you can. If not, I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express._

_Love,_

_Hermione_

_P.S. Ron says Percy's Head Boy. I'll bet Percy's pleased, but Ron doesn't seem too happy about it._

He laughed and glanced back at the photograph on the newspaper clipping. Percy, who would be starting his seventh and final year at Hogwarts, was looking particularly smug. He had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez perched jauntily on top of his neat hair and his horn-rimmed glasses were flashing in the Egyptian sun.

"I bet it's a book," Harry guessed as he opened the present from her, but he was wrong. His heart gave a huge bound as he ripped back the paper and saw a sleek black leather case with silver words stamped across it reading _Broomstick Servicing, Kit_. "Wow, Hermione!"

There was a large jar of Fleetwood's High-Finish Handle Polish, a pair of gleaming silver Tail-Twig Clippers, a tiny brass compass to clip on your broom for long journeys, and a _Handbook of Do-It-Yourself Broomcare_. Aside from his friends, what he missed most about Hogwarts was flying. He loved to fly. It was a shame that he couldn't fly here with Snape, but it was no big deal. He wouldn't have gotten to fly at the Dursley's either.

He smiled at Severus to let him know that he was glad to be here and the professor nodded his understanding. Omi interrupted the moment by shoving another present into his lap. Harry carefully set the Kit next to him on the couch and took the card off the present.

"It's from Hagrid." He laughed. "You know, the first present I had ever gotten came from Hagrid when he came to give me my Hogwart's letter. It was a birthday cake that he made himself."

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy birthday!_

_Think you might find this useful for next year. Won't say no more here. Tell you when I see you. Hope the Muggles are treating you right._

_All the best,_

_Hagrid_

Harry thought this ominous since the last time Hagrid said words along those lines he was keeping the secret of the Philosopher's Stone. With a shrug, he turned to the present and ripped off the wrapping. He glimpsed something green and leathery, but before he could unwrap it properly, the parcel gave a strange quiver and snapped loudly.

Harry froze and Severus crept closer, his wand ready. They knew that Hagrid wouldn't send anything to hurt him, but Hagrid didn't have a normal person's view of what was dangerous. Harry poked the parcel nervously and Snape hissed at him to put it on the floor. It snapped loudly again. Harry pushed it onto the floor and out fell – a book.

He just had time to register its handsome green cover, emblazoned with the golden title _The Monster Book of Monsters_ before it flipped onto its edge and scuttled sideways like a crab under the couch. "Uh-oh," Harry muttered as Severus glared at the space where the book had disappeared. He slipped quickly from the couch and got on his hands and knees.

"Harry, be careful."

"It's just a book and I don't want to lose it," Harry answered as he reached for it. "Ouch!"

"What happened?" Severus demanded, pulling the boy away from the couch.

"It bit me!" Harry exclaimed shocked.

Severus growled and cast a spell that had the struggling book floating out to them. He reached around his waist and undid his belt, quickly wrapping it around the book and synching it closed. Harry tensed, but he relaxed when he saw the professor smirking triumphantly down at him, holding the book aloft by the loose end of the belt.

"Good one," Harry approved as he took the book back and placed it by the Kit from Hermione. "Wonder why he thinks I'll need this next year."

Severus sneered. "Who knows."

Harry shrugged and turned to the elf who proudly displayed an awkwardly wrapped present. Harry took it and saw a little tag saying, 'To yung Harre, from Omi.' Harry smiled at the little elf and gave him a hug. Omi's ears wiggled frantically with joy.

"Open it!" the elf cried, unable to contain himself.

Harry did and gasped. It was a snitch! He grabbed the elf in another tight hug, "Thank you, Omi! I love it!"

"Here. This is from me," Severus said as he stepped over the joyfully crying elf sitting on the floor and handed the last gift to the boy.

Harry took it and gently unwrapped it. He stared at what lay revealed in his lap. It was a long white winter cloak and white winter gloves with a pair of black Quidditch gloves that would keep his palms warm while leaving his fingers free to grip the broom or snitch.

"I remember you always looking cold during the winter months," Severus murmured uncertainly.

"I love it. Thank you," Harry cried and jumped up to hug the professor. "Thank you, sir. Really. I've… never had a birthday party before. And the gift is perfect."

"I'm glad you like them." Severus smiled. "Why don't we have some cake?"

That got to Omi and the elf stood up. He snapped a picture with Snape hovering in the background as Harry blew out his candles. Then he began serving everyone. The three of them sat up talking for a while, just having a good time and enjoying each other's company. When the cake was gone and they all had tummy-aches, Severus decided it was time to go to bed. Harry agreed. He went over to gather his gifts and noticed an unopened envelope still on the table.

"Wait. I missed one." He blushed with shame and opened the envelope. It was from Hogwarts and held a list of what he'd need for his third year and a permission slip to go to Hogsmeade on certain weekends. Harry looked at it sadly.

"We'll figure something out," Severus murmured and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Can I at least go see Ron and Hermione at Diagon Alley?"

"We'll see how things are then, but I don't see a reason why you shouldn't go."

Harry looked up him and smiled. "Thanks. Well, goodnight, sir. And thank you again for doing all this."

"It was no problem. Now off with you. I think we'll postpone breakfast to eleven. Sound alright?"

"It sounds great!" Harry laughed and made his way up to his room with all his gifts. For the first time in his life, he was glad it was his birthday.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry had enjoyed sleeping in, but now it was time to get to work. After brunch, he followed his professor back into the sitting room. Today they were going to work on understanding Kit. The parlor looked like it did everyday, though Omi assured Harry that he had saved the streamers for Harry to keep. Harry thanked the elf profusely and made the little elf very happy.

"How are we going to do this, sir?" Harry asked nervously from his position on the couch. Snape sat across from him with his long pale fingers laced under his chin. It was a position that Harry had come to realize meant the professor was trying to work something particularly delicate out.

"I think we should have her come out. I have a recording device." Here he set up what looked like a photo camera, but it had a slightly larger back. It was pointed toward Harry. "Then we will watch it and you will tell me what you think about her and what it could mean."

Harry frowned. "Won't you tell me what you think too?"

"No. I don't think so. But I will should it become necessary," Severus answered firmly. "It would be best for you to come to the truth on your own."

Harry nodded and leaned back against the couch. He began his breathing exercise and slowly his nerves steadied. Ready, he closed his eyes, willing Kit to come forward, and began to drift off to sleep. Severus watched him impassively. He wasn't sure this was going to work because he didn't know how to call a specific alter Out. He hoped Harry's will would be enough, and if not, he hoped Silas and Gabriel understood what was happening and would help should they need it.

**xXxXxXx**

Kitten found herself awake and Outside. She crossed her arms and legs with a pout on her face. Why was she here? Nothing had called to her and she didn't particularly want Out yet, but her confusion disappeared as she saw the man in front of her. A slow, seductive smile curled her lips and she looked over at the man through her long dark lashes. The man tensed, his eyes watchful but very guarded. Her smile widened and she uncrossed her legs and leaned back, looking completely fuckable she knew.

The man didn't seem affected. Even his voice was cool and detached. "You are Kit?"

"Call me Kitten," she pouted, but with a purr still present in her voice. She faked a yawn. "I'm bored. Let's play a game."

"What kind of game?" the man asked evenly.

"Oh, I'm sure we can think of something." Kitten took her annoying glasses off and licked her lips. Her hands reached for her pants and unsnapped the button. She moaned in anticipation, never once looking away from the dark eyes staring at her.

"Stop! I don't like playing games."

"Fine," she huffed. "This is boring. I'm leaving."

**xXxXxXx**

Harry just stared at the wall where the scene between Kit and Snape had just finished playing back. The professor was sitting next to him on the couch so that he could watch it as well. He suddenly felt very uncomfortable sitting next to the man. He was very glad that the recording had been facing away from the professor. He didn't think he could have handled having to watch the man's face while he was dealing with Kitten. Harry felt ashamed and miserable enough without that. Most of all, he felt completely confused.

"What are you thinking?" Severus asked softly as he stood and moved back to his chair.

Harry told him.

"I see."

"I mean, what was that?" Harry was suddenly pacing in agitation. "I don't get it. It was like she wanted… but that can't be right. Can it? And I mean… with you?"

"First of all, you need to breathe. Sit down and do so," Severus ordered. The boy glared at him for a second before doing as he was told. "Second, Kit does not recognize me. That part of you has no idea who I am. She just saw me as another person."

"So she would have been that way toward anyone?" Harry frowned deeply. "That doesn't make me feel a whole lot better."

"But it makes you feel a little better, yes?" Severus smirked and was secretly glad when the boy gave him a small smile in return.

Harry sighed. "But I'm not like that at all."

"Harry, Kit is a very small part of you, stripped of any other motivation, goal, and priority. When blended back with the rest of your personality, she would be put back in proportion. Understand?"

"I guess."

"Like with the dessert," Severus clarified. "She really enjoyed that. I bet since she's been around you haven't craved anything sweet or indulgent, like a nice long bath."

"No." Harry frowned. "Should I?"

"Everyone has cravings like that regularly. Manicures and massages are even more examples. 'Harry' alone doesn't have the capacity for those desires."

"Why would I have pushed that away?" Harry had unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself and drew his legs up a bit.

Severus recognized it as a defensive technique. They had gone far enough. "I don't know, but I think we've worked on this enough for today. Why don't we go practice the piano?"

Harry nodded in relief and followed his professor from the room.

…

After practice, he spent the rest of the day finishing his homework and spending his regular two hours in the exercise and game room. He didn't talk a lot during dinner and Snape didn't press him. He was very thankful for that. As soon as the meal was over, he hurried to his room and shut the door. He collapsed on the bed with a tired sigh. Images he had kept at bay came flashing back. Behind his closed eye lids, he was again watching himself act in a way he never imagined acting.

Refusing to think on it anymore, Harry threw himself under the covers and forced himself to sleep. He woke only a couple hours later from a nightmare. He was gasping for breath and trembling, but for the life of him he couldn't remember what he had dreamed. With shaking hands, he reached for his journal, which he had forgotten to write in earlier, but when he held his quill over the page, he went completely blank. What could he write?

Suddenly, his hand began to move. He could still feel his arm, but at the same time he felt completely separate from the action. _Maybe you should start on a different alter than Kit._ The handwriting was more elegant and loopy than his own.

He gasped and began to panic. Immediately he began his breathing exercise and smiled wryly. Wouldn't Snape be pleased that it had been an automatic response to panic? When he was calm, he carefully wrote back, _Who are you?_

His hand began to move again and wrote simply, _Silas_.

_If I spoke out loud, would you be able to hear me and respond?_

_Yes._

_Oh. I think I prefer writing._

_It doesn't really matter. I'm most likely not supposed to communicate with you in any case,_ Silas admitted.

_Why?_

_It will encourage you to think I'm a different person when I'm really just another part of you._

_Do you feel like just another part of me?_ Harry wrote curiously, biting his lip.

_Yes, in a way,_ Silas answered ambiguously.

Harry didn't know what to think of that, so decided to ask a different question. _Do you know what my nightmare was about?_

_I didn't see it, if that's what you are asking, but I think we both can guess it has something to do with Kit._

_You know what happened to her, I mean me?_

_Harry, Professor Snape was right. You need to face this on your own. We can't just tell you the answer. Besides, I think you should start with a different alter._

_Like who?_

_Good point._ The writing changed. It was messier, quicker. _This is Gabriel. I think you should stick with it now that you've started. You're going to face problems with any alter you try to reabsorb or whatever._

_We obviously don't agree, Harry,_ Silas responded. _But he is correct in saying it will be difficult no matter which alter you start with._

_And you'd have to absorb her eventually anyway,_ Gabriel added.

_We got the point the first time, moron,_ Silas answered and Harry could almost feel him sneer.

_Is Kit aware that I'm trying to_ (pause) _reabsorb her?_

_She was sleeping fitfully and Boy was crying while you were having your nightmare,_ Silas wrote. _Both are calm now._

_I think I know something that will help you, Harry,_ Gabriel added. _When Kit was first born, whatever made you create her also made Boy really upset. And he's the one that comes Out when you're hurting the most. Remember that when you face her and kick her butt!_

_Moron,_ Silas wrote again and there was a pause. _I take it you're still going to work on Kit?_

_Yes,_ Harry answered with some reluctance, but he was decided.

_Do you think you can sleep now?_

_I think I'll write a bit more on my own. Oh, and thank you, Gabriel. For the birthday. Last night was wonderful._

_No problem! Sleep tight, Harry,_ Gabriel wrote cheerfully.

_Goodnight,_ Silas wrote and then Harry's arm was released.

He looked down at the page and smiled. He felt better. For a while, he wrote contentedly in his journal about everything that happened that day and on his feelings about suddenly being able to talk to (in a way) Silas and Gabriel. It was kind of strange knowing he was talking to himself, but it also made him feel less alone and stronger. He knew he'd want to write to them again. He lay back down and wondered sleepily if he should tell Snape about the new development.

**xXxXxXx**

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked as they took their usual positions in the parlor the next morning.

"Ummm… tense, I guess," Harry answered.

He was sitting with his hands fidgeting in his lap, but his posture wasn't defensive yet. Severus also noticed Harry wore baggy clothes. The boy had become much better about wearing clothes that fit him, but when he was feeling the most down or pressured, he tended to revert back to baggy clothes. It made him feel more comfortable because it hid more of him. It was defensive armor, so to speak.

"What to you think about Kit? We didn't really get into it yesterday?" Severus asked gently.

"She's… I don't know," Harry admitted. He sighed. "I really don't. All I know is that I don't like her, but I guess that's obvious since I pushed her away like I did. She makes me uncomfortable and embarrassed and ashamed. The way she was acting was horrible."

"She only acted that way because she had nothing to guide her except for her cravings," Severus answered. "She wants luxury and relaxation, and that is a healthy drive everyone possesses, but alone the wants she represents become inappropriate."

"Why is it important?" Harry obviously doubted it was.

"Everyone faces stresses in their lives. The need to relax and unwind balances out that stress. Without that need letting us know we've been tense too long, we might push ourselves to the point where we hurt ourselves. Migraines, short tempers, violent outbursts are just a few things that could happen should someone not indulge every once in a while."

Harry nodded, understanding. "I get it. After Hermione studies a lot, she reads a fiction book curled up by a window in the sun, and Ron either flies or plays chess… Hey, I still fly! Why doesn't that count?"

"It could be used for relaxation," Severus agreed. "But not the way you fly. You speed around and do dangerous stunts that, though they may be fun, does nothing to relax your body or mind."

Harry sighed, defeated. "That's true."

"All right. I want you to play piano for a couple hours. Focus on Kit, how you feel about her, and what she means. I don't want you to think of anything that doesn't relate to Kit in some way. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Harry stood and made his way to the music room. "Will you be listening?"

"Not if you don't want me to," Severus assured and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I think I want to practice alone for a while," Harry admitted.

He had been with the professor long enough to feel safe in voicing his opinions and not fearing punishment for them. He was proven correct when the dark-eyed man merely nodded and walked away toward his study. Harry relaxed a bit and went to sit in front of the instrument he was quickly coming to love.

**xXxXxXx**

They did this for eight days. Every morning Harry would talk about Kit for forty-five minutes with the professor, then he'd play piano thinking of nothing but his alter for two hours. Sometimes Severus would sit and listen, sometimes he didn't, but he would always come in and talk with Harry for a few more minutes about Kit before releasing Harry to spend the rest of the day studying, working out, or playing games.

Harry had finished his homework the day before his birthday, and Snape was teaching him extra lessons. Harry had chosen Defense Against the Dark Arts, so his professor was teaching him shields and agility, which made him more flexible and quick while dodging, and taught him how to fall without hurting himself. Snape was also teaching him the basics of self-defense twice a week.

Every night before he went to bed, Harry played piano for an hour just to play, thinking of nothing but music, and then he'd write and go to sleep. Silas and Gabriel hadn't written to him since the first time. Harry hadn't tried writing to them yet, either. He just didn't feel like talking to anyone really. He was sure he'd have locked himself away by now, but Snape wouldn't let him hide or avoid the problem.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke with a choked scream. He'd been having nightmares every night since watching the recording of himself as Kit, but for the first time he remembered pieces of the dream. His heart was pounding against his chest and he was covered in sweat. Tears were falling from his eyes, but he couldn't get enough breath to actually cry. Immediately he began breathing deeply and slowly as he had been teaching himself. It didn't help because every time he'd get calm, he began to sob and choke again.

He stumbled from the bed and almost fell, his legs were shaking so much. Breathing, crying, gasping, he made his way to the door. He had forgotten his glasses and everything was blurry. Crying wasn't helping. He made his way down the hall, his hand dragging on the wall. He passed five open doors before he found one that was shut. Snape's room.

Harry collapsed and Boy came Out with a vengeance. Silas and Gabriel couldn't hold him back anymore. Boy had been agitated by the nightmares every night and this one particularly, and Harry approaching Snape's closed door gave him the strength to push Out because of his fear that Snape would be angry for being woken and they would be punished.

Boy scrambled backward from the door, sobbing. He turned and ran, hunched over and stumbling back to his room. It was too big, there was nowhere to hide. Gasping, shaking, he ran across the room. He yanked open the closet door and crawled inside, pulling the door shut behind him. He sat in the dark, rocking slowly and whimpering.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus woke to a gentle alarm. He spelled the lights on and opened his door. Harry wasn't there. He frowned. That particular alarm was spelled to go off whenever someone touched his door. He made his way quietly down the hall. He didn't want to wake the child if the alarm had malfunctioned. Harry's bedroom door was wide open. Severus knew the boy had shut it upon going to bed. He stalked forward, tense with worry, but Harry was nowhere to be seen.

"Omi!" he called softly, and the elf arrived with a pop in a gray night gown.

"Yes, master?"

"Where is Harry?"

The elf's eyes went unfocused and then he pointed at the closet door.

"Thank you."

The elf nodded worriedly and popped away.

Severus approached the closet and slowly opened the door. Harry was curled in a corner, rocking and whimpering. As soon as the light touched his face he began to cry harder, begging for forgiveness for waking him, begging not to be hurt. Severus grit his teeth against the anguished apologies and knelt.

"Harry… Boy… I won't hurt you. I'm not angry," he said gently, not daring to touch the child yet. "I'm glad you woke me. You did the right thing. I'm proud of you."

Boy's rocking slowed and his whimpers quieted. After a few minutes, he went limp and Harry blinked up at his professor, confused and upset. Severus reached for him slowly and gently dragged him from the closet. Harry was crying again, and Severus lifted him easily and carried him to the bed.

"Harry. Breathe."

Harry obeyed awkwardly. He didn't know what to think about his professor carrying him to bed or sitting beside him with an arm wrapped around his shoulders. No one had comforted him like this except maybe Hermione, but it did help him steady so he leaned into his teacher's side.

"What happened?"

"I… I had a nightmare… It was… I…" He had to stop to breathe. Snape didn't question him again. He sat patiently, waiting for Harry to speak. "I couldn't move… or think clearly… Someone was massaging my shoulders… I thought it was nice and it made me really warm and relaxed… but then… I didn't want it! I didn't!"

"Shhh, Harry. It's all right," Severus whispered, though he was tense as well. He had suspected what had caused Kit, but to hear it was a very different thing. "What happened?"

"They…" Harry's teeth were chattering and Severus held him tighter, fighting his own growing anger. "…pulled my pants… open… and then… it was hot… and I couldn't move… it felt… good… It's not supposed to feel GOOD!" he cried desperately.

Boy rushed out and screamed, jerking away. Severus let him go instantly and just murmured soothingly as the boy trembled and shook in the middle of the bed. The sight was heart-wrenching. Merlin! He wanted to kill whoever did this to Harry. He felt sick.

By the time Harry came back, he had summoned a calming draught and gave it to the child to drink. Harry didn't question it and downed it in one gulp. Severus sat next to him again and draped one arm around the boy's shoulders protectively. "Harry, do you remember who did this?"

"No," Harry said in a small voice.

"You didn't do anything wrong. This wasn't your fault." Severus tightened his hold as Harry began crying softly. "Sleep. We'll talk about it in the morning."

"Don't wanna," Harry protested weakly.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but this isn't one of those time you can shut your door. We have to talk about this. I promise if you begin feeling too upset to continue we will leave it," he said as he rubbed soothing circles on the boy's back.

Severus didn't leave until Harry finally cried himself to sleep.

**End Chapter.**

 


	7. Forgiving

**A/N:** There is confusion about the process of merging Harry with his alters. First, he has to understand their purpose and mentality. Then he has to accept the alter. What Harry sees in his nightmares is the very first time Lockhart had him in detention and was giving him a massage. He is beginning to remember that because when it was happening, he had been Harry so that memory is easier to access, but even still it is blurry and jumbled. He can't remember that it was Lockhart.

Harry and Kit have not merged yet. Harry understands what and who she is, but he can't accept her. Until he is able to do so, he will periodically have nightmares and Kit will still need to come Out occasionally.

**Forgiving**

The next morning, Harry sat at the end of the couch, his knees drawn up under his chin and his arms wrapped tightly around his chest. Severus sighed as he sat in his own chair. The air was thick with the boy's confusion, anger, pain, and fear. This was going to be hard, but he had to make the boy understand before it was too late.

"This is going to be difficult to hear, Harry, but I need to know you are listening to me," Severus said firmly. "I need you to look into my face. When you need a minute, look away, and I will wait until you are ready to continue. Understand?"

Harry nodded tensely but otherwise made no move to speak.

"Alright." He kept his face blank and matter-of-fact as he held the pained green eyes with his own. "Most people picture rape as a violent and painful thing. And often it is. But sometimes it isn't. Harry, you didn't do anything wrong. Your body reacted…" Harry looked away and sat shivering for several long minutes before dragging his eyes back to his teacher's. Severus continued calmly. "You reacted in a natural way, but no matter what your body told you, you knew it was wrong. You didn't deserve to be treated in such a manner. It was wrong and it hurt you, no matter what your body said."

"But Kit… She likes it…" Harry said hoarsely.

"Kit… She is made up purely of your physical response," Severus said delicately. "You separated her from the knowledge that you were unwilling, so she didn't understand that it was a violation. She existed solely to feel and that's what she did. Harry, it isn't her fault, either. It is not bad that it felt good, but it is bad that you were forced to feel such things so soon and when you weren't ready. One day you will find love, and these feelings that Kit enjoys, you will want to enjoy as well."

"No," Harry said harshly, eyes burning with anger.

"Yes," Severus argued gently. "I know you are young and it seems horrible right now, but you will love someone and someone will come to love you in that special way."

"No." This time it was despair in Harry's voice.

"Yes," Severus said again. "What happened to you was horrible. It wasn't your fault."

"Is," Harry argued tiredly. "I was stupid. I let him massage me and put on the ointment."

"He who?"

Harry shrugged rigid shoulders, looking more like he was twitching. "Can't remember."

Severus wasn't sure if Harry was lying or not. On one hand, the boy had not lied to him so far and Kit could very well be blocking that information, but on another Harry could be keeping it secret because of his feelings of shame. In any case, Severus knew that he had to help Harry let go of that shame. It wasn't his to bear.

"Whoever it was planned on hurting you from the beginning, Harry. They planned to make you vulnerable. They planned to drug you so you would be helpless and confused. They purposely used your innocence and ignorance to get what they wanted. It is their fault entirely. Do you honestly believe you should have been able to defend against such an attack? You were rightfully ignorant of such foul intentions."

Harry was crying softly now, but his green eyes never left Severus' so he continued.

"I will never lie to you, Harry, and I swear, you did nothing wrong here. You are not responsible for this. You were not expected to know how to fight back against such actions. There was no fault in you or in your reaction. It was natural and not your fault."

"But…I liked… it." He sniffed, wiping at his nose with his sleeve. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you," Severus said firmly, allowing a slight glare to enter his eyes. "And you _didn't_ like it. You wanted it to stop. You couldn't stand it so much that you pushed it all away and created Kit... Tell me… What would you tell a man who had been cursed with Imperio and forced to feel enjoyment while murdering innocents?"

"That it wasn't really him," Harry answered heavily. "But this was really me. Kit is me."

"It was you, yes, but it was your body only that felt good. Your mind did not ever like it, as you put it. Harry, your body is a complex system, but it can't think for itself. It tells you when it is damaged by telling you it hurts. It also tells you things feel good when you are doing something that is good for it. Every single creature alive has an innate drive to reproduce. That is good. It keeps the species alive. The man who hurt you activated that instinct so the body said it was good, but you knew better and that made it hurt all the more. You did nothing wrong," Severus repeated, knowing he would have to say it over and over before Harry believed him.

"I don't want to talk about this any more," Harry said softly as he stood.

"What will you be doing?" Severus asked, remaining seated.

"I'm going to play for a bit and then go back to my room. Maybe sleep." Harry wouldn't look at his professor. "Can I be excused from lessons?"

"You may, but only for a day or two," Severus allowed. "You can't let this stop your life."

Harry practically ran from the room.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry played for several hours before he ran to his room and slammed the door shut. He didn't know what to do. He felt so lost, so angry, so dirty. He wanted to throw things and hurt himself. He wanted to cry and run away. It was maddening. He felt the pressure behind his eyes and knew that he was causing chaos with the alters, but he spitefully held on. It was their fault anyway! If Kit hadn't been born, then he would have found a way to get away!

Struck with the idea, he ran to his journal and furiously threw it open. _Why didn't you come Out and stop him! I thought you were created to protect me! You should have seen it coming a mile away, Silas! And Gabriel, I thought you were brave and strong!_

_I am intelligent,_ Silas answered calmly. Harry could tell because of how slow and steady his writing was. _But I only know what I've seen through you and what I've studied. I assure you, child molestation never came up. I would have done more to warn you had I known._

_I'm really sorry, Harry,_ Gabriel wrote sloppily, evidence of his guilt. _I wanted to stop it, but you were drugged and Out and we can't force you to come back In. And then Kit was formed and we are strong when our particular situation calls us Out. We couldn't stop her. We couldn't stop it. We wanted to. I'm sorry._

_Sorry! You're sorry!_ Harry raged at the paper, at his useless alters. _Why didn't you come Out after and kick the bastard's ass, whoever he is? Why didn't you tell someone and stop it?_

_We couldn't attack the sick fuck because you avoided him, we avoided him. Besides, I wouldn't allow you to get expelled for attacking a teacher because then we would have been sent back to the Dursley's,_ Silas explained. _And we did want to tell someone, but we couldn't agree on whom. We don't trust the same people, and Gabriel wouldn't let me go to Professor Snape._

_And he wouldn't let me go to Dumbledore or McGonagall. He refused!_ Gabriel wrote angrily.

_Shut up! Both of you! I don't really care who you do or don't trust! Because as of this moment, I don't trust either of YOU!_ Harry slammed the journal shut and threw it across the room before collapsing on the bed, crying. He hated crying and that's all he seemed to be doing lately. And he hated his stupid alters!

**xXxXxXx**

Snape ate dinner that night by himself. He was worried about Harry, but he knew better than to go up and demand the boy's attendance at meals. He'd give the child a couple days before demanding they continue their routine. Giving Harry time to come to terms with his new knowledge was one thing. Allowing him to avoid the problem and letting it fester was another.

True to his word, he let Harry hide in his room for two days. The boy never came out, not even to play piano, but Omi assured him that he was eating at least once a day. Severus would only give Harry one more day. After that, he'd just have to face the world again, but it turned out that Severus wouldn't be needed to drag the boy from his room.

On the third morning of Harry's isolation, Omi popped into Severus' bedroom frantic with worry. "Master! Young Harry be cleaning! I told him to stop, but he don't answer or even look at me!"

"I'll handle it," Severus promised and headed for the boy's room. The door was shut so he knocked. No answer. He knocked again and then pushed it open. Harry was at the window wiping it down with one of his own shirts. He turned as Severus drew closer and smiled shyly up at him, hands folded primly in front of him.

"Harry, what are…" Severus stopped as he noticed the boy's eyes fall to his mouth. When he stopped speaking, the boy looked back up to his eyes curious. Suddenly, Severus knew what was happening. "Rose. How are you?"

The alter nodded with a smile.

Omi popped into the room.

Rose didn't look in that direction, not having heard the elf's entrance. Severus remembered being told that Rose was very empathetic, but maybe she couldn't sense an elf's emotions. She had no idea when Omi was near whereas she felt Severus approaching and had turned away from the window on her own.

"I don't want you to clean," Severus said and watched Rose stare at his mouth. "Come with me."

Rose nodded again, hands folded primly in front of her, eager to please him.

Severus turned around so that she couldn't see his lips. "Omi. Go and do not show yourself to Harry until I say otherwise."

"Yes, Master," the elf squeaked in confusion, but he obeyed by disappearing with another pop.

Severus walked from the room with Harry/Rose following a few feet behind him. He took them to the dinning room. Rose was looking around in wonder. Severus pulled out a chair for her and she looked at it before beginning to brush it off. Severus stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked up quickly, confusion on her face.

"No. Don't clean. I wanted you to sit there and wait for me to come back."

Rose sat, knees pressed together and ankles crossed. She looked terribly confused. When Severus gave her a little smile, she beamed at him happily.

Severus turned around with a sigh. He went to the kitchens. Omi was there looking very upset. He explained that Harry was just sick at the moment and not to worry. He'd be better soon. The elf nodded and demanded to know what to do. Severus asked for some good food since Harry hadn't been eating well, and the elf eagerly complied, promising food very soon. Severus returned to the dinning room.

Rose was sitting where he had left her. She was sitting upright and very lady-like. Her hands rested folded on her lap.

"The food will appear by itself on the table in a few minutes. Do not be frightened."

Rose smiled and nodded.

"When it arrives, I'd like you to eat," Severus continued. It was very difficult seeing Harry acting so unlike himself. He hadn't spent any large about of time with Harry's alters, except maybe Silas, but Silas' behavior didn't seem odd in Harry's body. Rose definitely wasn't the same. He had to fight to not look away from him/her. He knew Rose wouldn't understand if he did.

Harry/Rose sat patiently waiting, her eyes never leaving the vicinity of Severus' mouth in case the man said something. She didn't want to miss it. Suddenly, plates of food arrived at the table. There was a dish of string beans, a serving plate of stake with a steak knife and serving fork, mashed potatoes, and a dish with gravy.

She smiled delightedly and began to serve the man. She put a good portion of everything on his plate. Severus was surprised when she leaned back finished. The string beans were all facing the same direction and laying half on the stake artfully while the potatoes had a perfect circle of gravy in them.

"Very nice," he approved.

The girl smiled happily and put a few things on her plate.

"Eat more, please," Severus admonished. "There is a lot here and I don't want to waste. Eat as much as you can."

Rose put exactly as much on her plate as she had Severus' and not a crumb more.

Severus sighed, but he said nothing even though he knew Harry normally ate much more than Severus could. Severus wasn't making up for years of not getting enough food, and he wasn't a growing boy either. They ate in silence. Severus grimaced and wondered how long she would be Out.

She was still around when they finished dinner so he tried to think of something she could do. Not cooking or cleaning, Omi would die. That left gardening. "Come."

She stood and quickly followed. He took her down into the basement. He had many herbs growing along one wall under a section of the ceiling that had been spelled to give off gentle sunlight. They were for potions. Harry/Rose looked over at him curiously.

"Would you like to help me tend to my herbs and ingredients?" he asked.

Rose nodded with a bright happy smile before walking over and setting in. She was very gentle with the plants and her hands were skilled and sure. Severus watched to make sure she was okay before going over to a cauldron. He might as well use the time to make a potion. He was running low on Calming Draughts in any case.

They worked for several hours peacefully. Severus was almost startled when he heard a loud, "Where are we?"

"In the basement. My private potions lab," Severus answered evenly, not exactly sure who he was talking to.

The boy scowled. "Should of guessed. I bet you go into withdraw if you keep away from dungeons too long."

"What do you want, Gabriel? There is nothing to fight here," Severus answered with a glare.

"But maybe Harry thinks there is," Gabriel answered and strode forward until he stood defiantly right in front of the man. "We're out of here."

"Where are you going?" Severus drawled as the boy strode past him toward the stairs.

"We don't need you. You aren't helping. You're making things worse, and I bet you're doing it on purpose!"

Severus smirked. "You can't leave. The doors and windows are spelled to keep you inside."

"Then I'll just have to break the lock, won't I?" Gabriel smiled dangerously.

That was all the warning Severus got before he was dodging spells higher than a second year should know. He cursed as he quickly ran up the stairs. There were too many volatile things down in the lab. He had to get to the dueling room on the second floor, but Gabriel wasn't playing around and it was hard to maneuver, which was really embarrassing since Harry was only thirteen.

Curtains exploded in a wave of flame as Gabriel tried to ignite his professor. Severus shot binding curses back, but the teen dodged easily and jumped back to his feet throwing curse after curse as he stalked closer to the downed professor. Severus erected a repelling shield and bolted upstairs. Gabriel was smart and aimed for the stairs themselves, knowing the teacher was off limits now. There was a deafening crack and the staircase began to jerk and crumble under Severus' feet. Severus cursed and threw himself onto the second landing, panting.

He sneered down at the boy. "Brilliant move. How will you reach me now? I can wait you out, you know."

Gabriel didn't answer. Instead he pointed the wand at his own feet and levitated himself up and over the second story banister. Severus cursed again and made for the dueling room. Once they were there, he went all out. Using every spell he knew that would bind, confuse, knock over, or blind his opponent, as well as every shield and repellant in his arsenal.

Gabriel was good. He was agile and fast, determined and focused. His spell casting was incredible. He could have more than four spells active at the same time without any losing strength, but even though his knowledge of offensive and defensive spells was surprising, it was still limited. Severus guessed it didn't extend past fifth year or so, but the child knew how to use the spells he had mastered and knew how to improvise and think on his feet. Severus really could see the seasoned warrior in this alter.

An hour into the duel, Severus was hit from behind with a Petrificus Totalus spell that Gabriel had bounced off a mirror. Severus was shocked. Why hadn't he ever thought of that? His magic immediately began eating at the spell holding him immobile. He'd be free in seconds, already his head and face was free from the curse, but that wasn't long enough. He stared up Gabriel's wand and saw triumph, but not glee in the serious green eyes.

"Goodbye, Professor."

The teen's mouth opened to say another curse, one Severus was sure would end his life so that Harry could leave the house, but before he could speak the green eyes fogged and Gabriel's posture melted into the relaxed readiness of a wary cat. It was Silas. Severus kept relief from his face and stared stonily up at the youth.

Silas's mouth quirked into a bemused half-smile. "I'm astonished, really. I had no idea Gabriel would be able to get this far."

Severus glared his most threatening glare. "Release me."

"Why should I waste energy to do that?" Silas asked silkily. "If I'm not mistaken, you are about to break free on your own."

Severus did just that and stood, still glaring, but Silas met his dark eyes calmly. To get away from that emerald gaze and to reign in his temper before he did something he regretted, Severus turned away to brush himself off. He turned back when he felt more in control of himself. Silas was smirking.

"What's going on, brat?" he demanded.

"What? No thank you for saving your life?" Silas said with mock hurt and tisked disapprovingly.

"I'm in no mood for games," Severus snarled.

"Could have fooled me."

"Silas, I'm not going to warn you again."

The teen took a deep breath and grew serious. "Harry spent about two days fuming, sleeping, and thinking. He's royally mad at us, by the way. Then he just gave up. He was sick and tired of the emotional see-saw. Gabriel and I have been keeping the others at bay, but all this stress is really putting a toll on us. When Harry willingly retreated… Viola! You have us for several hours. It's good for us anyway. We were really going stir crazy."

"And Gabriel's time just happened to be up?" Severus scoffed.

"No, but he had been Out long enough that I could exert myself and replace him. It wasn't like there was a situation to anchor him."

"You couldn't intervene earlier?" Severus asked icily.

Silas shrugged, unconcerned. "Why should I? Gabriel needed to let off steam."

"So Kit and Boy need to come Out still?" he asked, trying to change the subject so that he didn't strangle the brat.

"No. Kit came out first. She had a nice long bath. Then Rose, who got the attention of Omi by cleaning up the bathroom and starting on our room. Boy doesn't need Out because he already came Out to help Harry when he first realized what happened to make Kit. Now. If you'll excuse me, I think you have a house to repair, and I have books I'd like to look through."

Severus glared as the teen walked out of the room without a backward glance. When he was sure he had given the boy enough time to get to the library, he made his way into the hall to begin repairing the damage Gabriel had caused. There wasn't that much. The little fiend had good aim. Shaking his head, Severus called Omi and they got to work.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus sighed as he came downstairs for breakfast and music reached his ears. Mostly scales, but sometimes Harry would venture to create melodies before slipping back into the scale pattern. This was a great sign that Harry was ready to stop hiding. Though Severus knew that didn't necessarily mean the boy wouldn't try hiding if things got tough again.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter," he drawled.

Harry looked up startled. He hadn't heard Snape come in and he hadn't noticed how late it had gotten. Then he realized what his professor had called him and frowned. "Is something wrong?" he asked timidly.

"No," Severus answered and sat next to the boy on the piano bench. "I have repaired the damage, so all is fine. This time."

"Damage?" Harry blinked and then he tensed. "Someone came Out, sir?"

"Yes. All of them except Boy."

Harry looked down at his fisted hands. "What happened?"

"Hmmm…" Severus drawled lazily. "Kit took a bath. Horrible that. And then Rose tried to clean the whole house. Gave poor Omi a bit of a shock. He felt threatened. Thought maybe you were trying to take his job."

Harry was looking up at this point and was clearly trying not to laugh.

Pleased with himself, Severus continued: "I had to distract her with tending to my potions ingredients to keep Omi from spraining something. Then Gabriel felt a bit repressed and decided to try me in a duel. He, of course, was deadly serious, thinking it was about time you left. Curtains were executed by fire, and the stairs fell tragically by a spell I didn't quite catch. The walls maintained their honor, however, and remained standing, wearing their few dents admirably. I sustained minor bruising and had to suffer a lecture from Silas for losing to the 'moron' Gabriel. He then promptly left me to go to the library for more interesting conversation. A rather eventful day, yes?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said and couldn't contain it. He began laughing hard. "I wish I could have seen that!"

"Which part?" Severus crossed his arms and glared. "I hope you are referring to Omi's frightful state and not my being held hostage by the end of your wand."

"Of course, Professor," Harry laughingly reassured the man.

"Good. And it is Severus, Harry. I've put up with 'sir' tolerably, but Professor is where I draw the line."

Harry grinned cheekily. "Yes, Severus."

"Come to breakfast," Severus ordered firmly, all seriousness. "And you will be returning to lessons and training this afternoon."

"Yes, sir," Harry answered easily, still smiling.

Harry ate three servings of a hearty breakfast. Severus said nothing about this, but he ate his normal portion slowly so that they would finish about the same time. Harry was very determined to apologize to the little elf, but Omi was just as determined not to receive one. It was scandalous that such a wonderful wizard should apologize when they didn't even do anything wrong. So he'd pop in and out at record speed. Frustrated at first, Harry eventually relaxed and just laughed about the elf's antics.

The mood quickly turned serious as they let the dinning room and went to the parlor for their daily therapy. Harry was nervous, but Snape's calm was contagious. By the time he was sitting in his favorite place on the couch, Harry wasn't even fidgeting. He really was ready to face this thing. He was sick of crying and wanted to get over it because having it hover over him was going to quickly drive him completely insane.

"So I take it you're feeling better?" Severus began.

"Yes. I want to understand this and accept it. I'm tired of sitting in my room with everything locked in there with me," Harry stated and bit his lip. "But I don't seem to be making progress. I've thought over all you've said. And I do understand it. Really, I do. But it doesn't change how I _feel_ about Kit or any of it one bit."

"That's understandable, Harry," Severus assured. "This isn't something you wake up to and say 'I'm over this now', and go on your way with a smile."

"Then what do I do?"

"You do exactly as you are. You acknowledge the problem and face it every day while continuing to live. You'll eventually realize that it isn't the end of you or all of you. Then you will feel what you already know, and hopefully then Kit will be no more, except as a working, healthy part of Harry."

"Sounds nice," Harry admitted.

"Are you still having nightmares?"

"Yes, but it's just the same one over and over again." Harry shivered, wrapping his arms around his chest. "I don't remember anything new or see who's…doing that to me."

"It will come." Severus brushed that aside. "We will see how often these nightmares occur, but they are obviously affecting how much sleep you get at night. These dreams are good because they will help you come to terms with what happened, but I don't want you exhausted. If it becomes necessary, I have Dreamless Sleep."

"Thank you, sir," Harry said softly as his arms slowly loosened.

Severus nodded. "You are having difficulties with the other alters?"

"How did you know?"

"I believe Silas mentioned something."

"Oh." Harry began fidgeting. "I was really mad at them. I blamed them for what happened. Said they should have protected me from it or told someone afterward since I couldn't. I know that's stupid because I'm just blaming myself, and I do know they couldn't do anything because they didn't know what to do. They are me and even now I still don't know what to do. Besides, being angry at them doesn't help."

"So you're not angry?" Severus asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I am," Harry said grimly. "I'm angry at whoever did this, but it wasn't Silas or Gabriel's fault. It's not even Kit's fault, though I still can't stand her."

Severus smiled sardonically. "That's progress."

"I guess."

"How long were you playing this morning?"

Harry shrugged. "Three hours about."

"I see." Severus stood. "Then I think we should go straight to lessons. I have drawn up a test for you."

Harry groaned as he followed his professor, but there was a faint smile curling the ends of his lips.

**xXxXxXx**

That night after a long day, Harry flipped open his journal and wrote, _Did you really beat the Professor in a duel?_

_Yeah,_ Gabriel answered. _Was difficult, too. That bastard can move when he wants._

_You don't like him, do you?_ Harry frowned.

_He's alright,_ Gabriel wrote the last word very slowly to show just how reluctant he was to give the man even that much.

_Don't listen to him,_ Silas argued. _He's a moron. Professor Snape has done nothing but help us. He's been honest and kept us secret._

_You think. You don't know that for sure,_ Gabriel argued back. _He could have told the Headmaster for all we know._

_But he didn't,_ Silas wrote with emphasis.

_How do you know?_

_Okay, lets not waste paper with an argument,_ Harry intervened.

_Fine,_ Gabriel wrote firmly. Harry guessed he was in a huff.

_So you are no longer angry at us?_ Silas asked casually.

Harry shrugged and wrote, _Not really._

_Good,_ Gabriel wrote.

_Why did you duel the Professor anyway?_

_I wanted out of here. I had to move, couldn't sit still. Couldn't think of anything past being free and he stood in the way. Besides, all this work and it doesn't seem to be helping._

_Fast enough, you mean,_ Silas' letters drawled out on the page. _Even you can't be dense enough not to see that he's helping Harry._

_Yeah. Fine. Fast enough._

_Well, we're sticking it out,_ Harry wrote cheerfully. _Didn't think you'd be the one to back down from a fight, Gabriel. And I thought Silas was cynical and untrusting._

_No. I'm merely cautious,_ Silas wrote lazily. _I find no gain in us leaving what we have here behind. We do have enemies. Let's not run into their hands. We are safe here. For now. Severus has yet to betray us so we should treat him accordingly. Not to say we shouldn't be prepared should he turn on us._

_And I'm not running away,_ Gabriel defended himself. _I may want to leave, but I'm not going anywhere. I just wanted to blow off steam, as Silas said. I could have offed him and escaped, but I let Silas take over instead. So that proves it._

_Offed?_ Harry asked worriedly.

_He has no trouble defending us to that point,_ Silas explained. _I would as well if I were pushed in a corner, though I wouldn't get us into such a corner in the first place. Gabriel has killed before. The basilisk remember?_

_Yeah. But that wasn't a person. There's a huge difference,_ Harry argued.

_There is,_ Gabriel agreed. _I'm not going to go around killing people, Harry, but I would kill if it meant protecting all our lives. I'd do everything in my power to find another way first, and I'd also sacrifice myself to protect innocents, but I'd like to avoid that, even if Silas doesn't believe me._

_You're right. I don't._

_Well, okay, I guess._ He paused to yawn _. I'm going to go to sleep. Goodnight, guys._

Harry shut the journal and set it on the nightstand. With a whispered word, the spelled lighting turned off and he was left in a comfortable darkness. He curled up under the thick blankets and let the warmth put him to sleep. He hoped he wouldn't dream again.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry stood panting. His body ached from all the throws Snape had demonstrated on him. He couldn't do many because of his small size compared to Snape, but it was good for him to learn. Harry shook his head with a grimace. Good for creating aches and pains, more like. He sighed and stepped up so that Snape could wrap his arms around his chest, pinning his arms to his side. Harry responded by going limp and Snape loosened his hold to grab him in a more comfortable way. Harry exploded into movement, knocking Severus over and getting free as soon as he had leeway.

"Very good!" Severus stood and reached for the boy's shoulders.

Harry ducked and rolled away, knowing that they weren't through. He smiled at Snape's look of approval. They worked on other moves for two more hours, ending with fifteen minutes of just fist-fighting. Both of them were sweating and out of breath before Snape called a halt to the day's training. Harry was really glad he only had these lessons twice a week. Snape promised he'd enjoy them more as he got better, but so far he only tolerated them because Gabriel loved them and watched and learned avidly over his shoulder, so to speak.

**xXxXxXx**

Sitting at the piano, his long fingers explored the notes, falling on a key every second or so. It sounded like slow, chiming rain. There was something about these sounds that never failed to reach inside of him. He smiled as he tapped on the keys. Slowly a vague melody could be heard. The rain of sound began to fall harder, the melody sure and steady. Harry bowed his head over the keys as his hands danced to the slow song.

Unknown to him, it was Brahm's Lullaby, something his mother had played for him when he was restless at night. A gentle smile caressed his mouth as he rocked slowly with the beat. Closing his eyes, the gentle sounds he was creating filled his heart and soul. The piano was singing to him. Kit stirred in pleasure, reaching forward to get Out.

Harry's hands fell heavily, loud and discordant notes bringing the melody to a painful halt. The room slowly fell silent as the harsh noise faded from the air. No. He wouldn't let her Out.

Harry let his hands push forcefully at the keys. He thought of her and felt betrayal and incomprehension. It didn't matter how many sessions he had with Snape. He wouldn't, couldn't, accept that she was rightfully a piece of him, and even if she was, it was good riddance. He didn't need her and what she offered to him. He was surviving just fine without her truly a part of him.

Gritty, sharp strains of music marched obediently from his hands and erased even the memory of the pleasant lullaby.

**xXxXxXx**

Snape had made Harry research each of the three shielding spells the day before he was allowed to try to cast them. It had taken only three days to master the easiest, the Blocking Shield. Harry had incanted Tectussitum while swishing his wand sharply across his body at least a dozen times before the shield actually held and blocked Snape's attack. It only blocked a single spell, however, and he had been knocked down by the second spell Snape had cast to be sure Harry would remember the Blocking Shield's weakness. In all, it was easy to cast and maintain, but it was little protection. Still, it could be useful.

It had taken eight days to get the Absorption Shield to work for him. He probably would have picked it up faster, but he had lost three days of training while coming to terms with finding out what had made Kit. The incantation was Tectum Haurio and the shield would absorb the strength from the attacking spell and feed it to the one being attacked. Its longevity varied; Snape could hold it for about five minutes, but Harry was still falling just short of one. It didn't drain the caster's magic, but it did take a lot of focus to maintain or it would fade.

Today was his ninth day at practicing the last and hardest general shield, and Harry was sure he'd get it right today. He was heartily tired of being knocked over by Snape. For the sixth time that day, he shouted, "Tectum Repercutio!" A dome of blue light surrounded him and Severus fired off a spell. The shield buckled and Harry was flung to his back. Again.

He quickly stood and recast the shield. Snape drawled out a curse and this time Harry's shield flashed white. It remained steady and repelled the spell back toward Snape. His teacher dove and rolled, all the time firing more spells. Harry began to sweat and his hands trembled, but his eyes flashed with determination and triumph. He had done it! But he could only hold it for thirty seconds before he collapsed, panting. Severus strode over to him and had him drink a strengthening potion. He smiled feebly as he was helped to his feet.

"You did well. Now let's try again before we get some lunch."

"Sounds good to me," Harry agreed, ignoring his fatigue. As Snape and Silas would say, his enemies wouldn't wait until he was feeling one hundred percent before attacking. Harry could only shake his head at the two's paranoia, but he'd do anything to keep them off his back for a little while at least.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry sighed as he sat down on the couch across from Severus. "I'm not sure there is much left to say."

Over the last couple weeks, he had faced his nightmares and they no longer sent him into panic attacks or came every night anymore. He had even accepted that what happened wasn't his fault. He still felt a little ashamed for allowing it to happen, but he realized that he hadn't had the skill or knowledge to prevent it. He didn't even blame Kit, but he still couldn't accept what she stood for. He couldn't understand it, and honestly, he didn't believe he needed her back. His therapy with Snape had helped him a lot, and he had come a long way, but he couldn't seem to take the next steps in reabsorbing his alter.

Severus nodded, oily shoulder-length hair swinging around his face. "I agree. You've done really well here, Harry, but I can't give you what you need to fully move past what happened."

"So that's it?" Harry lowered his head and stared at his hands. He was surprised how much it bothered him that Snape was giving up. "I'm hopeless?"

"Not at all. I merely said at this time you need something other than I can give," Severus reassured. "I have to return to Hogwarts. I have things to prepare. School starts in little more than week."

"So I'm staying here? You think being on my own will help me?" Harry asked doubtfully, looking into his teacher's face.

"No. I don't think it will, actually," Snape smiled. "So I've come up with a better solution. You will stay at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. The owner owes me a few favors and has proven himself able to hold a secret."

"Wh-what?" Harry was shocked.

"Hmmm… Yes… You _will_ abide by my rules if this is to happen." Severus glared at the boy. He wanted to be perfectly clear how serious he was about Harry's obedience. "All of you will abide by the rules or you will suffer my consequences."

"Yes, sir," Harry squeaked fearfully.

Severus nodded, satisfied. "You will stay at the Leaky Cauldron and be within your room before the sun sets. You will not leave it before the sun rises. During the day, you may venture into Diagon Alley, but you will not go into any side streets or enter the muggle world. You will not go off with strangers, no matter how friendly they seem. You will not invite anyone into your room."

"What about my friends?" Harry questioned.

It was even and not demanding. By the tone, Severus knew that Harry would be sad if he was refused, but he wouldn't go against his rules. It was this that led him to relent. "Your friends from Hogwarts may come up, but no one else."

Harry smiled. "Thank you."

Severus ignored him. "Do you understand and give me your word to follow these directives?"

Harry nodded firmly. "Yes."

"What about Silas and Gabriel? I would like their word as well," Severus said seriously. He hated to treat the alters as separate persons, but this was necessary.

Gabriel shrugged. "Yeah. Sure."

"I will," Silas drawled and flicked his fingers dismissively. "But tell me, is there some threat we should be wary off?"

Severus looked at the child before him. The messy black hair, the temporarily cunning and shrewd emerald gaze, the skinny body; there was nothing here that told of the boy's amazing strength or his surprising fragility. In fact, Harry's scar was almost completely hidden by his hair now that it had grown out a few inches. He was sure the boy would cut it soon, growing annoyed with constantly having to brush it out of his eyes. It was sometimes difficult to remember why this child was so special, but it was times like this that it became all too clear.

"Yes. Have Harry come back."

Silas nodded and in a second Harry was blinking up at him. "Did they promise?"

"They did, but Silas asked a question I want you to hear the answer, too. He asked if there was a specific threat at the root of my request of your caution. The answer is yes. A man escaped from Azkaban, the British wizarding world's toughest and most horrific prison. The escapee is Sirius Black. He was once Voldemort's right hand man, but he was captured the day after Voldemort disappeared from public light. He was repeating your name over and over before he escaped. There is reason to believe that he is after you. That is why you must be cautious at Diagon Alley."

"I understand, sir," Harry said softly. "But if it's so dangerous, why are you letting me go?"

"Because it will be a long time before you will not be in danger. You can't be locked away, I realize. Also, Diagon Alley will be busy and full of witches and wizards should you need help. You will be in at dark and Tom, the owner, will be looking out for you." Snape reached into his robes and pulled out a bracelet. "You will be able to summon me with this should you have need by breaking it. I have taught you defensive spells, you have mastered the three basic shields, and you know enough hand-to-hand to allow you to flee. I believe that the risks of the situation are balanced by your skills as long as you remain cautious."

Harry fingered the tiny silver chain bracelet that Snape clasped around his wrist. It wasn't tight, but it wasn't so loose as to dangle. He liked it and smiled gratefully up at his teacher. Now that he was faced with leaving and returning to Hogwarts, he realized just how much he was going to miss it here.

"Thank you, Pro- I mean, Severus. For everything you've done for me," he said levelly, locking eyes with the man before him. "You've really helped me and I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."

"I don't need your thanks." Severus stood and Harry did the same. "At least, not yet. When you are through this and standing strong and whole, then we might think of some kind of recompense. Go and pack your things. We leave in an hour."

**Chapter end.**

 

 


	8. Freedom and Hogwarts

**Freedom and Hogwarts**

Harry ran from the parlor and upstairs to pack. It didn't take him long to gather all his things and pack them neatly in his school trunk. With a sigh, he looked around the room that had been his for nearly two months. He really was going to miss this place. The time he had left before Snape arrived to take him away, he spent walking around the house saying goodbye silently. He lingered longest in the game room. He had wanted to beat his last score at Snitch Hording. He was sure he could.

Omi found him in the music room sitting at the piano when the hour was up. "Is young Harry's trunk ready?"

Harry sighed and stood. "Yes, Omi."

"But you forgot all your clothes." Omi wrung his hands unhappily. "Should I clean them and pack them for you?"

"They are clean already," Harry said with a laugh. "And they're not mine, Omi. I was only borrowing them."

"I will set your trunk downstairs for you, young Harry," Omi said with heavy disappointment before disappearing.

Harry slowly made his way downstairs. His trunk was where Omi had promised it would be. He looked around the hall and mentally revisited the dinning room and the parlor where he had come to understand so much. He was only waiting a few minutes when Snape came down wearing school robes. Harry tensed. He hadn't seen the man wearing robes since he had woken up here. The attire reminded him of the man's harsh attitude toward him at school.

Severus easily read the boy's expression. "I will not be kind to you at school. I can't. Not if what Gabriel said is true and he saw the Dark Lord's spirit using Quirrell to get the stone. If Voldemort's back, I have to be very careful."

"Why?" Harry asked worriedly.

"That is something I cannot tell you right now, but I give you my word that I don't mean it. It is an act I have to maintain. I will tone it down, and I will not use anything I've learned about you here against you. In fact, I do not even plan on telling the Headmaster of your condition. I will leave that up to you. However, we will be having sessions twice a week. I believe I'll give you detentions so we can spend time together without rising suspicions. When we are alone, I will be as I was here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Harry gave a trembling smile. "I'd really like that."

"We should go." Severus swished his wand and the trunk dwindled until it fit easily into his pocket. "This place is secret, and so is the time you've spent away from your family, so we will step outside and I will Apparate us to the end of your street. I will meet you at the Leaky Cauldron. To get there, merely raise your wand and the Knight Bus will come to pick you up."

Harry followed Snape out the front door and into the midmorning sunshine. He barely had time to take a large lungful of the sweet air when Snape's hand fell on his shoulder and the world melted away. He landed hard and staggered. Snape held him upright and waited until he could see straight before releasing him. He looked around and found himself at the end of Privet Drive at the park, behind some trees.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked him, eyeing the boy and making sure that being so near home wasn't causing problems.

"Yes, sir." Harry lifted his wand, but Snape shook his head.

"They come very fast. Let me leave first," he explained before he disappeared.

Harry waited a few seconds and was about to raise his wand again when a bush behind him rustled. He spun around, heart beating fast, but all that came out was a rather large, black, half-starved dog. It stood stone still and stared with fevered eyes right at Harry's face. Harry chuckled nervously.

"Hello, doggie," he called, but the animal never moved.

In fact, Harry thought it may have begun trembling. He was suddenly worried the dog was sick and may attack. He backed up slowly, never looking away from the animal's eyes. He was shocked when he found himself tripping backwards. He cried out, his arms flailing. The dog rushed forward just as a huge bus came careening down the street. Harry rolled back onto the sidewalk and away from both attackers.

The bus came to a screeching halt right in front of him, and Harry stared up at the young man who came to greet him. Before getting on, he leaned around the bus to see if he could still see the dog, but it was gone.

The ride to the Leaky Cauldron was horrifying. Harry was sure they were going to crash at least a dozen times and his heart was exhausted by all the leaps it had made into his throat. When he stepped off, his legs were shaking and he was very grateful for the steady hand that wrapped around his arm.

"About time," Snape said with a scowl, but his eyes were neutral.

Harry guessed his act had to start even before they got to Hogwarts. He followed his teacher into the dim restaurant and Inn. The bartender and owner was very friendly and showed them a room with a bath that was available. Snape paid for four nights. Harry handed over his trunk and Snape resized it. Hedwig flew through the window, and Harry happily stroked her feathers.

"Wow. You really are smart," he praised.

Hedwig cooed and nipped at his ear before flying to the dresser to perch in her open cage.

"I have something for you," Severus spoke up and Harry turned to him expectantly. Severus felt awkward, so he did it quickly. He took out a necklace from his pocket. The silver chain matched the bracelet he'd already given the boy, but on the end was a piano, the size of a nickel.

Harry took it and admired how real it looked. The wood was brown and the keys were black and white just like the real thing. "Thank you." He smiled sadly. It was beautiful, but it also made him think of the piano he had to leave behind.

"I have cast several spells on it," Severus explained, looking over at the owl. "It should respond to your voice only. Just place it on the ground and say 'rescind spells' and it will return to its normal size. Saying 'activate spells' will return it to a necklace. It is the same one you've played at the house."

"Sir!" Harry protested, tears in his eyes. "You can't give me…"

"It is yours." Severus turned toward the door. "Remember the rules. Don't step out of line, Mr. Potter."

Harry watched the man leave and was so choked up with tears that he couldn't call for the man to stay. He held the necklace up to look at the piano. His heart loosened and a truly happy smile stretched across his face. There was no clasp; it didn't need one. He slipped the long chain over his head. The piano slipped under his shirt and hung right over his breast bone, invisible and yet he would always be able to feel it.

"Oh, Hedwig! Isn't it wonderful?" He laughed as he pet her feathers. "I have my piano and four days by myself! I wonder when Ron and Hermione will get here."

He looked out the window and saw that it was just past noon. He had plenty of time to explore. He laughed again and bounded out of his room, locking it behind him. Tom gave a wave, Harry waved back, and then he was at the brick wall. He tapped the brick he remembered from his first year with Hagrid and the archway was revealed.

Snape was right about Diagon Alley being busy. The street was teeming with shoppers and families. Harry slid into the crowd easily. He stopped to look into the window of every store, but slowly made his way to the bank. He'd need some money to buy school supplies. And maybe he'd find something for Professor Snape.

**xXxXxXx**

Diagon Alley was really amazing. Even in the three days he had been there, he still hadn't explored every shop. His favorites were Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor and Quality Quidditch Supplies. He visited them every day: Florean's for an ice cream sundae and the Quidditch store to stare at the new Firebolt. Harry couldn't wait to go back to school and fly again. He had a Nimbus 2000 from first year from Professor McGonagall, but in his daydreams he was flying on the Firebolt instead.

Harry learned many things from watching the crowds in the Alley. Gossip in the wizarding world was surprisingly exactly like it was in the muggle world. He saw wanted posters everywhere for Sirius Black. Most people were talking about that and the prison he escaped from. Some people say he turned the guards and soon a lot of ex-Death Eaters would be escaping. He heard one mother say she was taking her kids and leaving for France until things were safer here. There were even a few rumors that the Minister of Magic had a hand in the convict's escape.

While Harry explored, he slowly gathered his school supplies. He visited the Apothecary, Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and Flourish and Blotts. The owner had about cried when he saw Harry, but he quickly recovered when Harry assured him he didn't need _A Monster Book of Monsters_. Harry was astonished at how violent the book was. A few copies were sitting in a cage and tearing each other to pieces.

He did need _Unfogging the Future_ , _Intermediate Transfiguration_ , and _The Standard Book of Spells: Grade Three_. While getting his Divination book, he saw one on death omens. On the cover was a huge black dog called a Grim. Harry recognized it with a start. It was the same dog that had attacked him while he was waiting for the Knight Bus. Harry hurried from the store, laughing nervously about his gullibility. It had been just a dog after all.

**xXxXxXx**

"Harry! HARRY!"

It was the last day before school started. Tomorrow the Hogwarts Express would be leaving for Hogsmeade's Station. It was early morning, and Harry had just left the Leaky Cauldron to spend his last day among the shops. When he heard his name, he turned and saw his best friends. He smiled widely and quickly made his way over.

Ron and Hermione looked tanned and happy, eating ice cream. Ron had grown several inches and was now a good half a foot taller than Harry and Hermione who shared the same height of five feet. Harry hugged Hermione and Ron pounded his back enthusiastically, already talking a mile a minute about Egypt.

"Have you gotten all your school supplies?" Hermione asked when Ron slowed down.

"Yeah," Harry said as he finished his sundae. "I've been here for days!"

"Well, I still have to get an owl," Hermione said excitedly. "My parents gave me money as an early birthday present, and I've always wanted a familiar."

"Great," Ron sighed and patted his pocket. "I need to get Scabbers looked at. I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

Of course, anything his friends undertook turned out to be chaos. Hermione ended up with a bowlegged cat named Crookshanks who absolutely tormented poor Scabbers. Ron and Hermione bickered all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Despite all the excitement, Harry was happy to learn his friends would be spending the night with him. He only hoped they'd stop fighting when they got there.

All the Weasleys were getting ready for dinner. Ginny blushed red when she saw Harry, and Harry did the same. He felt really uncomfortable not being able to remember rescuing her. Fred and George were already plotting about pranks during school. Harry was sure that all the teachers were counting down the last three years the pranksters had left. They were little terrors in their first four years and now that they were starting their fifth year everyone was ready to see them go. Percy was as prim and self-important as always and was already wearing his Head Boy badge proudly.

Going to bed, Harry watched Ron and Percy fight. Percy had lost his badge and Ron was looking for Scabbers' medicine, and they blamed each other for them being missing. Harry didn't like listening to the boys argue so viciously so he offered to go look for the items downstairs. He was about to turn the corner into the dinning area when he heard more voices arguing. It was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They were fighting about him. It seemed Mr. Weasley wanted to tell him about Black being after him while Mrs. Weasley thought he was just a child and should be allowed to be happy without scaring him half to death.

Feeling very uncomfortable about getting between the loving couple, Harry hid so they wouldn't see him when he passed. He darted out, found the rat medicine, and hurried back to his room. Ron thanked him and they all went to bed. Harry lay in bed thinking. He remembered that this year he was old enough to go to Hogsmeade on weekends with his friends, but he knew that wouldn't happen now. Not with everyone so upset over Black.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas and Gabriel were just as unhappy, but for different reasons than Harry. Silas was more concerned about the Grim death omen. He didn't necessarily believe that they were destined to die because of it, but thought they should be careful. Black was a real threat, and if he was after their life, it wouldn't be a bad idea to forego unnecessary risks.

As for Gabriel, he was frustrated that they were going to be watched so closely even while at school. He was independent and capable of defending them if Harry got into trouble. He liked their freedom on Diagon Alley, and he wasn't eager to exchange that for a prison-like school.

**xXxXxXx**

The next morning they ate and then climbed into Ministry provided cars. It seemed even the wizarding government was concerned with his safety this year. They were running late, and by the time they got to King's Cross Station, they all had to hurry to get aboard. Harry was pulled aside by Mr. Weasley before he could follow his friends.

"Harry, I've got to tell you something."

"It's alright, Mr. Weasley," Harry interrupted. "I already know about Black being after me."

Mr. Weasley looked shocked. "How?"

"I've been on Diagon Alley for days. It's all the people can gossip about."

"Well, promise me…"

Harry rolled his eyes. "That I'll be careful."

"No, that you won't go looking for Black," Mr. Weasley said sternly.

Harry frowned. "Why would I do that?"

Mr. Weasley pushed him toward the train, all the while demanding that he promise. Harry was onboard and leaving the station before he could answer. He pulled his friends with him to find an empty compartment. Maybe they could help him figure out why everyone was so strange about Black.

All the compartments were full, so they had to settle for one occupied. Harry chose the one with the new Professor Lupin because the man was sound asleep in the corner. Whispering, he told Ron and Hermione about Black and the strange way everyone acted around him when the name came up. Ron and Hermione took the news badly. They were both scared of the convict, and Harry just didn't get it. It was just one man and he was safe at Hogwarts.

"What's that?" Hermione asked as she heard a sudden muffled high-pitch screeching.

Ron stood and dug in Harry's trunk. Harry opened his mouth to protest, but the redhead was already pulling out the Sneak-a-Scope. The students looked sharply at the professor, but the man merely shifted in his sleep, his golden brown hair falling across his face. Ron quickly stuffed the screaming thing back into Harry's trunk, using his clothes to muffle it better before slamming the lid.

Ron blushed. "It's a cheep one."

"Well, well. If it isn't Potty and Weasel," Malfoy drawled as he opened their door.

"Don't, Malfoy," Hermione warned. "The Professor is sleeping. We don't want to wake him."

Malfoy looked over at the teacher and sneered, but he backed out without further taunts. Harry smiled at Hermione, proud of the way she had defused the situation while Ron ranted on how he wasn't going to take crap from Malfoy any longer. They talked quietly for the rest of the train ride. Professor Lupin never woke.

They were almost there when the train slowly came to a stop and all the lights went out. Ginny and Neville stumbled into the compartment, frightened. They were bickering with Hermione and Ron when Professor Lupin stood with cold fire crackling in his hand. He was tall and thin. His face was angular and tired-looking, but his light brown eyes were alert.

"Quiet!"

The urgency in his voice silenced everyone. Just then the compartment door opened. In the faint light the professor was carrying, Harry made out a gray skeletal hand. Its fingers were like claws, and the light seemed to glisten off of the thing's skin as if it were damp. Harry couldn't hear anything. Not even his own ragged breathing. He knew he had to be panting. He could feel his heart rapidly pounding at his chest, but it was as if he were deaf. An eerie silence filled his ears.

The hand disappeared with slow grace into the folds of a black ragged robe. Harry's horrified eyes slowly rose to the creature's head. He felt faint with relief that the thing's face was covered by a black cowl, but the relief was short-lived as pain began to build in his head. He felt like it was being compressed into the size of a marble.

The monster seemed to look right at him as it drew in a rattling breath, the sound as loud as a waterfall in the absolute silence. Harry gurgled, his throat so tight he was unable to scream, before his eyes rolled up in his head and he fell unconscious.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas watched as Boy's door was slammed open, but Harry's image didn't form on the couch. Gabriel looked confused and poised ready to fight, but Silas knew that this wasn't something Gabriel could combat.

Suddenly, they were slammed to the floor by unbearable pressure. Boy and Harry screamed in unison. The pressure built with every second that passed and soon Silas, Gabriel, Kit, and Rose were screaming in agony as well. Demon's door began to tremble ominously.

Just when Silas was sure they were all going to die, Boy's door slammed and they heard weak crying within the cupboard. The two older teens were lying on the floor, limp. They were too exhausted to move and both were covered in sweat. They lay there weakly for several long minutes. Eventually, Rose and Kit's cries tapered off and Boy was merely whimpering from inside the cupboard.

"What was that?" Gabriel gasped.

"That _thing_ forced Boy Out with Harry. Harry isn't ready to merge with Boy, and it was tearing his mind apart. If it had lasted any longer, we would all be dead and Harry insane."

"Shit," Gabriel whispered.

**xXxXxXx**

"Harry. Harry! Wake up!"

He opened his blurry eyes and found himself lying on the floor. Ron and Hermione were kneeling beside him and over their shoulders he could just make out Neville, Ginny, and the new professor's worried faces. He felt sick. Sweat coated his face and was dripping down his back, but he felt cold. Hands shaking, he reached for Ron and was levered into a sitting position still on the floor. Everyone was watching him and it set him more on edge.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.

"Yeah." Harry's voice was raspy and hoarse. He ran his hands over his face and turned dazed green eyes back to his friends. "What happened? Who was screaming?"

"No one screamed." Ron bit his lip and turned anxious eyes to the professor.

"But I heard the most horrible screaming…" Harry whispered and jumped when he heard a hard snap. Professor Lupin was smiling kindly at him and handing him a large chunk of chocolate. Harry hesitated, but he took it. The others all got a piece, too.

"Eat it," the man encouraged. He had a soothing tenor voice. "It will help, I promise."

"Wh-what was t-t-that thing?" Neville stuttered.

"A dementor," Lupin answered gravely. "It's gone now. Eat your chocolate and I'll be right back."

The lights had come back on so they weren't too frightened by the professor leaving. Everyone was pale and scared. Ginny and Harry looked the worst effected, though Neville came in a close third. Ron and Hermione looked startled but not greatly disturbed. It was Ron who broke the tense silence.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry? I thought you were having a fit or something. You went sort of rigid and fell right out of your seat and started twitching - "

"Professor Lupin stepped over you and walked toward the dementor," Hermione cut in, turning the conversation away from Harry's collapse. Harry smiled weakly at her in gratitude. "He said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, and the Professor muttered something and a white thing came out of his wand and the dementor left."

Harry said nothing as the others began to talk about the dementor and how they felt when it had come in. He was still in shock. He could clearly hear the screaming still. It was awful. Shivering, he pushed away the memory, but it still sat in the back of his mind. The door opened and Lupin came back in.

"Please. Eat the chocolate. I haven't poisoned it," he said gently and everyone took a bite in unison. Harry's eyes widened as he felt warmth return to his hands and feet. Lupin came and sat next to Harry. He asked gently, "Are you feeling better, Harry?"

Harry nodded tensely. "Yeah."

When they reached the station ten minutes later, everyone bolted from the train. Harry had never been so glad to see the school. He stared out the window at the lit-up castle all the way, oblivious to the worried glances his friends were sharing behind his back. Things didn't get better when they reached the school.

"Is what I heard Weaselette saying true? You _fainted_ , Potter?" Malfoy asked in delight.

Ginny was standing a little behind him with her friends and stared in horror when she realized she had been overheard. Embarrassed and still sick, Harry ignored him and made his way inside, but McGonagall stopped him, asking for Hermione and him to come up to her office before the feast. He went without objection. He didn't really feel like being stared at right now.

McGonagall's office was warm and had several comfy chairs. The two Gryffindors settled into them while the professor took the seat behind the desk.

"Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead saying you took ill on the train," McGonagall explained just as Pomfrey came in.

Harry went red. Though he did feel ill, he hated the attention he was getting over this. "I'm fine," he said firmly as he stood to leave, but Pomfrey just pushed him back into the chair and looked him over. Harry seethed while she worked. When she finally released him, Harry ran from the room, barely catching McGonagall's order that he wait outside for Hermione.

A hand fell on his shoulder as he stepped into the hallway. He spun in fright, only to relax completely at seeing it was Snape. The Potion Master pulled him into a shadowed alcove and asked him if he were well. Harry had hated it when Pomfrey checked him over, but he was strangely comfortable when Snape did the same thing.

"Why did the dementor affect me so badly?" Harry asked tiredly.

"I think it has to do with your condition," Severus answered calmly, though his eyes still held worry. "I recommend you stay very far away from them in the future."

"No problem," Harry assured, wrapping his arms around his chest.

"Remember I will be giving you detentions so that we can meet twice a week to talk," Severus reminded, knowing they had little time before Hermione joined them. He gave the boy a magic compass. "That will guide you to my rooms should you have need of me any other time. And if it is an emergency, the bracelet will still summon me."

Harry sighed and leaned against the wall. "Thank you."

Severus nodded and gripped the boy's shoulder before striding away.

Hermione stepped from the office just as Snape was out of sight. She looked happy and excited. Harry didn't ask. Ron was saving them seats at the feast. They had missed the Sorting. The redhead didn't seem to be too happy with being left behind, but that was forgotten as Lupin and Hagrid were introduced as new teachers. They cheered louder than everybody.

"Look at Snape," Ron whispered as they were getting ready to leave.

Harry looked over and saw that the dark-eyed man wasn't just staring angrily but with soul deep loathing at Lupin. He bit his lip. Why did Snape not like him? It looked way more personal than jealousy over the DADA position. Maybe he could ask? But Harry doubted he would. He had come to trust the professor and maybe even like him, but he'd never willingly provoke his wrath.

**xXxXxXx**

The first day of class came and Harry was again treated to Malfoy putting on a skit of him fainting before a dementor. He again ignored it and settled in with his House for breakfast. Minutes later, they were going to their first class: Divination. The whole way Ron was bugging Hermione about her overlapping classes, but their friend was very reluctant to talk about it or explain past, "I can handle it, Ron. Leave it alone."

They were panting by the time they arrived at Divination. The room was at the top of the North Tower and was a cross between a stuffy attic and an old-fashioned tea shop. Professor Trelawney was just as exotic, looking like a huge human bug the way her glasses enlarged her eyes. She put on a good show before telling them to read each other's tea leaves.

"You've got a crooked sort of cross…" Harry mumbled over Ron's cup and used his other hand to look through the text book for its meaning. "That means 'trials and suffering' – sorry, Ron – but there's a thing that could be the sun… hang on… that means 'great happiness'… so you're going to suffer but be very happy?"

"You need your Inner Eye checked if you ask me." Ron snickered. "Okay. My turn… There's a blob a bit like a bowler hat. Maybe you're going to work for the Ministry of Magic… But this way it looks more like an acorn… What's that?"

"'A windfall, unexpected gold,'" Harry answered as he found the right symbol in the book.

"Great you can lend me some," Ron joked before looking back into the cup.

But Trelawney had heard their quiet laughter and took Harry's cup from Ron. "Let me see that."

**xXxXxXx**

Harry sat silently at lunch while Ron and Hermione fought on either side of him over the truthfulness of the Grim being in his cup. When he admitted to seeing a large black dog on Privet Drive, Ron looked like he had already died and Hermione became even louder in her belief that Divination was rubbish. Thankfully they had Care of Magical Creatures next and everyone was soon distracted.

The class stared in awe at the hippogriffs Hagrid led to them. The creatures had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs wings, and heads of giant eagles. They had terrifying, cruel, steel colored beaks, and the deadly talons on their front feet were half a foot long. Large orange eyes pinned you to the ground with fear when the hippogriff looked directly at you.

"Right, who wants to go first?" Hagrid asked joyfully after introducing and explaining the creatures to everyone. "No one?" He asked with a pleading look.

Gabriel grinned in excitement at the challenge. "I'll do it." It was surprisingly easy to come Out, but he attributed it to Harry being shaky since the dementor's attack. He ignored Silas' groan of despair in the back of his head and approached Hagrid and a hippogriff.

At the teacher's direction, he didn't blink and bowed low. The hippogriff didn't respond, so he began to back away, but then it got down on its knees in an unmistakable bow. Gabriel smiled and stepped forward to touch its beak. Hagrid was booming his approval, but Gabriel wasn't really listening. He was about to go back In when Hagrid lifted him and settled him on the hippogriff's back.

"Go on an' ride 'em, 'Arry!" Hagrid said happily as he slapped the creature's rump.

Gabriel whooped and gripped the feathers securely as he flew a circle around the lake. After ten minutes, they headed back toward the ground. It was a rough landing, but he balanced expertly. When the hippogriff came to a stop, he slid off and walked gracefully toward the gate in the paddock.

_I'm victorious once again,_ he thought with a grin before allowing Harry to resurface.

Harry looked around in surprise. Instead of standing with a hushed and frightful crowd, he was now in the paddock with the hippogriffs and so was everyone else. They were talking and bowing, and many were even touching the creatures on the beak. He realized that he must have lost time while one of his alters was Out and looked nervously around to see if anyone had noticed.

His eyes fell on Malfoy who was disdainfully patting a hippogriff. He drawled an insult about the creature's intelligence to his friends, and the hippogriff became furious, lashing out at the boy with steel talons. Malfoy screamed, and Hagrid wrestled the creature back into its collar before scooping the blonde up and racing him to the hospital wing.

**xXxXxXx**

That night Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sneaking out of the castle to visit Hagrid. All day everyone had been badmouthing him as a teacher and all the Slytherins were demanding that he be fired. They had seen the half-giant moping miserably around the school grounds and had decided to go and try to cheer him up.

They were successful, but once Hagrid was no longer depressed, he yelled at them for leaving the castle after dark and walked them back to school. Snape had been passing when they came in and coldly gave Harry a detention to be served on Wednesday night for leading his peers into danger. Hagrid tried to get him out of it, but Harry shook his head.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry knocked on the potion classroom's door before pushing it open. Snape was sitting behind his desk and nodded when he came into the room. After casting several spells to ensure their privacy, Snape gestured for him to sit at the front table. Harry did so with a tired sigh.

The man's black eyes rested on him for a long minute before speaking. "How are you?"

"Fine, sir," Harry answered immediately and then smiled sheepishly when his teacher raised a disapproving eyebrow. "Well, I lost time during Care of Magical Creatures. I remember the class starting and I came back right before Malfoy was injured."

"Do you know who came Out?" Severus asked curiously.

"I think it was Gabriel," Harry hedged. He had written to his alters in his journal after getting back from Hagrid's and knew for a fact it had been Gabriel. The alter had only said it looked like fun and Harry seemed a bit shaky so he took over. "It made me nervous that someone might notice I was acting differently, but no one did, so I didn't mind so much anymore."

"Do you normally switch with your alters during school?" Severus was very concerned. He had thought the child was making progress. Was he getting worse instead?

Harry shook his head. "I don't think so. I mean besides those times when Gabriel came Out to fight."

"I'd like to consult with Silas," Severus decided. "Do you mind?"

"No, sir." Harry closed his eyes and relaxed. When he opened them again, his whole expression had shifted into something weary and mature. "Good evening, Professor Snape."

"Are you well?" Severus had come around his desk by this point and was leaning back against the front so he was closer to the boy.

Silas smiled jadedly. "Why ask a question you know the answer to?"

"What is the problem?"

"Dementor," Silas answered shortly, eyes hardening. "We can't be afflicted like that again."

"What happened?" Severus asked seriously, face pale with worry.

"Dementors draw a person's worse memories up to the front of their consciousness. For Harry, that meant Boy was slammed forward with him when he wasn't ready or prepared. If Professor Lupin hadn't forced the dementor away when he did, we would be dead and Harry would be insane. Harry still hasn't recovered and all the barriers between us are a bit weak, thus Gabriel's escapade with the hippogriff."

Severus couldn't help smirking in response to the disgust in Silas' voice when he spoke of the other alter. "So no progress with Kit?"

"None." Silas sighed. "Survival and recovering are higher priorities right now."

"I understand. I think I can help. Bring Harry back."

"Sir?" Harry blinked, feeling more disorientated than normal when returning after an alter has been Out.

"Drink this." Severus handed him a potion and Harry drank it unquestioningly. "It is a strengthening potion, very mild and general. You have an hour left of detention. Why don't you play for a while?"

Harry smiled with gratitude before removing his necklace and placing it in the middle of the cleared space Snape had made with a swish of his wand. "Rescind spells," he said happily and sat.

Severus graded papers to the sound of Harry's playing. The boy was getting better fast. Calming, strengthening melodies flowed from his fingers with the occasional jarring note. He was almost surprised when his silent alarm warned him that time was up. He stopped Harry and the boy turned his piano back into a necklace before leaving the room. He looked less weary than when he had come in, and Severus felt satisfaction at that.

**xXxXxXx**

The next day Harry had his first potions class. It was also the day Malfoy finally returned from his three day stay in the infirmary. He came late and was forced to sit at Harry and Ron's table, to no one's delight. While they were working, they heard Dean at the next table gossiping about how Black had been spotted not too far from school.

"If it was me, I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy; I'd be out there looking for him," Malfoy said casually, staring straight at Harry.

"What are you on about, Malfoy?" Ron glared hatefully.

"Don't you know, Potter?" Malfoy whispered, still not looking away or blinking.

"Know what?" Harry asked just as softly, but before the blonde could answer, Snape interrupted by trying Neville's potion on the boy's pet toad, Trevor.

The potion worked, turning Trevor into a tadpole, and Hermione lost Gryffindor points for helping the boy. At least Snape returned Trevor to a toad before they left, but Ron wouldn't stop badmouthing Snape. Harry felt uncomfortable with that since Snape had done so very much for him, but he stayed silent knowing the others wouldn't understand.

**xXxXxXx**

The day got better immediately after lunch when they went to their first DADA class. Lupin won them all over instantly when, on the way to the teacher's lounge, he got one up on Peeves by shooting gum up the ghost's nose. The class only got better as he made a game of confronting everyone's fears and a dark creature at the same time.

They had never had practical lessons in Defense before and it was great. Except for Harry, because when he was about to confront the boggart himself, Lupin had stopped him. The class was talking happily as they filed from the room, but Harry stayed behind.

"Yes, Harry?" Lupin asked with a kind smile.

"Ummm… Professor? I was just wondering…. Why didn't you let me fight the boggart, too?"

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said with surprise while beckoning the boy closer. "I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."

Harry stared in shock at his teacher. Not only had Lupin admitted to not letting him participate, he had actually said the Dark Lord's name. He'd only heard Dumbledore, besides himself, ever do that.

Lupin studied his face and frowned, apology in his warm eyes. "Clearly I was wrong," he said and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagine that people would panic."

Harry shared a smile with him, but that quickly faded. He found himself wanting to tell this man what he was feeling. He'd never felt that way before. Not even with Snape who had to coax things from him in the beginning. He felt torn about it, but he decided to give Lupin his trust after looking into the man's unwavering eyes for several long seconds.

"I didn't think of Voldemort. I thought of dementors."

"Well, I'm impressed." Lupin smiled at the surprise that elicited from Harry. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is – fear. Very wise, Harry."

Harry ducked his head in embarrassment. "Thank you, Professor."

Lupin squeezed his shoulder before letting go. "You should be off. I'm sorry for underestimating you, Harry. Maybe you'd like to come by and have lunch with me sometime so I can get to know you better and never do that again?"

"Okay." Harry smiled brightly at his professor before rushing from the room.

**Chapter end.**

 

 


	9. Painful Healing

**Painful Healing**

As the weeks passed, everyone slowly got used to going back to classes after the long summer break. Lupin was the most popular teacher at school, especially to Harry. Harry had taken to slipping away and having lunch with the professor once during the week and once on the weekend. They talked about little things, but that didn't matter. Harry liked his company because the man actually listened to him. Much in the way Snape did but with more warmth.

At first, Harry had been startled by how physically affectionate the man was. Lupin often patted him on the back, squeezed his shoulder, and a few times wrapped him in a quick hug. Harry wasn't used to being touched affectionately. The Dursleys just ignored him, and he was always so poorly dressed at muggle school everyone avoided him. Even now Hermione and Ron only gave him an occasional hug.

But he didn't feel threatened by Lupin's touches. Once he got used to them, he was surprised to find himself comforted by it. It had gotten to the point where he was the one to initiate hugs, and his favorite place was sitting next to Lupin so that, while they talked, Harry was pressed right up against his warm, sheltering side. As much as he liked Snape and needed his help to get better, he would never find this kind of solace in him.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry couldn't breathe. He was panicking so badly he couldn't remember anything Snape had taught him. He fell out of bed and staggered down the steps that led to the boy's dorm. He lay in a trembling heap at the foot of the stairs, his mouth open in silent sobs. Tears and sweat drenched his face, dripping from his chin. Crawling, he made for the portrait hole. Once it was open, he used it to stand and stumble blindly away from Gryffindor Tower.

He gasped, choking, his vision going dim. He couldn't go any farther. He needed Snape! Where was he? Sobbing so hard he was gagging, Harry fell into an empty room. He ripped the bracelet from his wrist so hard he drew blood. Harry didn't notice; he was too lost in hurt. He crawled into a corner and drew his legs up to his chest miserably.

Severus strode into the room not five minutes later and quickly cast silencing charms. 

Harry wailed his grief, almost screaming as the tears rose up and washed over him. 

Severus rushed to the child's side and knelt, placing a tentative hand on Harry's shaking back. He could hear Boy in the echoes of Harry's cries, but he knew Harry was still aware and in control. Severus was beyond shocked when Harry launched himself at his chest and sobbed into his shoulder. He hesitated, but he eventually brought his arms up to hold the distraught child.

It took a long time for Harry to calm down, but he slowly quieted and began to breathe a little easier. 

Severus released his hold and pat him on the back as he gently slid the boy from his lap. He conjured several tissues and handed them over. Harry took them in a limp hand and wiped at his face tiredly.

"What happened?" Severus asked softly, so as not to upset the boy further.

"I… I remember… Oh, Professor… I remember it all. Kit… We merged because I finally really understood her and…" Harry began to cry again.

Severus’s throat felt tight with pain, and he wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. "It's over. It will be all right now."

"I just… I remember and it was so horrible… It happened again after that first time… It happened over and over… Five times! … And I just laid there and accepted it. I was so lost in it…"

Severus said nothing. Just sat there, supporting the boy as best he could. Now wasn't the time for his words. 

Harry trembled, hunched up into himself, crying and growing silent in turns.

They sat there for an hour. Severus never moved or shifted, even though he was growing uncomfortable on the stone floor. And he was glad because when Harry turned to him, trust and hurt burning in his eyes, Severus had a sudden realization that letting this child down would have been unbearable.

"Sir, I remember who did this,” Harry whispered hoarsely. "It was Professor Lockhart. Do… do you think… do you think it was just me… or do you think he… hurt… other people?"

"Harry." Severus grabbed the boy fiercely and pulled him to his chest. He was so angry he saw red. He had assumed it was the Dursleys who had sexually abused the child, but to find out it was a teacher! Someone who had once been his colleague! Harry squeaked when his grip got too harsh and he hurriedly let go. "I don't know, Harry. I will find out."

"You won't tell anyone!" Harry asked fearfully, grabbing the man's sleeve.

"I will not,” Severus reassured him. "I do know how to be subtle. I know it's hard to believe, but I give you my word no one will suspect your involvement. In time, you may have to come forward, and you have to be prepared for that, but not until you have some time first. You know this wasn't your fault."

"I really do know that." Harry nodded, whipping his nose on his sleeve. "You've made sure of it. But I just… don't want to have to tell people. Not yet. It's just too much right now. Okay?"

"Of course, Harry,” Severus promised and searched his robes for some potions. "You need to sleep. Here, take these once you get in bed. The light blue one first, then the purple."

Harry recognized them as a Calming Draught and Dreamless Sleep. "Thank you, sir,” he whispered and slowly stood. "Thank you for coming. You didn't have to and…"

"Harry. What happened was horrible, but you are strong. You deserve help. You can't always do things on your own. I gave you my word to be here, and I will be."

"Thank you,” Harry said again, managing a shaky smile.

Severus walked the exhausted boy back to the Gryffindor Tower. When they got to the portrait, he stopped Harry. "We need to talk more about this."

Harry nodded acceptance. "Detention tomorrow night then?"

Severus nodded gravely. "I believe that's best. I'll schedule you a detention every other night until you feel more secure."

"Okay. Goodnight, Professor."

"Rest well, Harry,” Severus whispered before turning to head back to the dungeons. 

As he went, his robes stiffened with the magic crackling around him. His eyes grew piercing, rage making him pale and unyielding. Lockhart. Oh, yes, the man would pay, and he'd keep paying, over and over again, until Severus tired of games, and that was going to be a very long time in coming.

**xXxXxXx**

"Harry, are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked worriedly. Harry had missed breakfast completely, oversleeping, and he had been unusually quiet all day. He hadn't eaten very much at lunch. He wasn’t eating much dinner, now, either. "Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey."

Ron pulled a sympathetic face. "Yeah, mate. You look a bit peaky."

Harry just shook his head at them and stood. They watched him worriedly as he made his way from the Great Hall. He wasn't really paying attention. By now he didn't have to think very hard to find the potions classroom. He didn't even bother to knock on the door. Snape was in his usual place, and Harry fell heavily into his seat.

"How are you feeling?" Severus began.

Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Tired. Hurt. Betrayed."

"Betrayed?" Severus asked, narrowing his eyes. He had thought they had gotten past the feeling of self-betrayal.

"I don't understand why the Headmaster keeps hiring people that hurt students,” Harry admitted. "I mean, I understand how he couldn't know about Lockhart. I'm sure there wasn't a record of it anywhere. But how could he not notice the concentrated evil of Voldemort in Quirrell? I feel used and not only by Lockhart. I'm not even the one that had to fight all those battles, but it seems unfair. I'm only thirteen. I want to be able to feel safe at my school. I want to be able to go shopping with my friends on Hogsmeade weekends. I just want to be normal. I feel like there's something about me that makes others want to hurt me. The Dursleys hated me and barely acknowledged my existence, and then there's a madman I don't remember destroying trying to kill me, and Death Eaters and Black. It's not fair."

Severus stood and knelt by Harry, placing his hands on the thin shoulders. "You have every right to want to feel safe while you're here. I have no excuse for the Headmaster or myself for allowing such cruel, sick people within reach of you, but I will do my best to keep that from ever happening again. You aren't alone, Harry. You don't have to face these battles by yourself. The Dark Lord has targeted you, but I will make sure that you have a few years to prepare before having to face him again."

Harry stared into his teachers depthless eyes and knew the man was telling the truth. Snape was promising to protect him, promising to keep an eye on him from now on and to ensure he was alright. Harry saw he really wasn't alone anymore and began to smile for the first time all day. He wanted to hug the man, but he knew his teacher was uncomfortable with such things, so he merely brightened his smile and hoped his feelings got across.

"Thank you for believing me,” Severus said softly. After a second, he stood to distance himself from the emotionally charged moment and leaned back against his desk. "What happened to cause you to allow Kit back into yourself?"

"It was Professor Lupin,” Harry admitted shyly. "I didn't tell you before, but I've been meeting him for lunch and we talk about school and classes and all sorts of things. He really seems to care about me. I know this seems stupid, but he hugs me and rubs my back and just sits by me. I've never had that kind of… attention, I guess…" Harry shifted with embarrassment. "It made me understand Kit in a new way. She liked touch because it felt good, and I couldn't understand that at all. But without even knowing it Professor Lupin helped me understand. I understand touching can be a… comfort now. Does that make sense?"

Severus nodded. "Yes. It does. Humans need touch, children especially. You're not even used to playful touch, are you? The only kind of physical contact you've had with others is brief or painful. I should have guessed what you needed in order to understand Kit better."

Harry looked up at the man and bit his lip. This was the perfect opportunity to talk about something else that had been bothering him, but he was still afraid of the man's anger. 

Severus saw his expression and raised an eyebrow. 

Harry ducked his head and decided to go for it. He could trust Snape and be honest with him. "Sir, I really like Professor Lupin, but I noticed that you dislike him more than the other DADA teachers, and, well, I was wondering why that is?"

Severus sighed and walked slowly back to his chair. He knew better than to put his own hatred of Lupin on the child. Harry had enough to bear already, and he had finally found someone to give him what he so desperately needed. The boy was staring at him nervously, unhappiness in his eyes. Severus knew the child depended on him and was quickly becoming just as close to Lupin. It was only natural for Harry to feel unhappy with the disharmony between the only two adults he had ever come to feel he could trust.

"I have known Professor Lupin for a long time,” Severus answered calmly, keeping his old hate free of his face and voice. "We were childhood enemies, much like you and Mr. Malfoy."

"Oh." Harry fidgeted. "Well, I… can stop…"

“No," Severus interrupted and grit his teeth hard before forcing himself to relax. As much as he cared for Harry, he couldn't give him the physical affection and comfort he needed. Harry would need this in order to survive facing the truth of Boy. If it meant Harry's survival, he could come to some kind of understanding with the mangy wolf! "Professor Lupin and I have differences, but there is no reason why you should not be… friends with him."

“Okay," Harry said uncertainly.

"Really, Harry. I'm fine with it, and it will surely not affect our relationship."

Harry smiled in relief. "Thank you. I didn't want to make you angry."

"I am not,” Severus assured. "You have half an hour. Would you like to play or continue talking?"

Harry jumped up and took off his necklace. "Play, sir."

Severus cleared the boy a space and took out essays to grade. As soon as Harry's fingers hit the keys, Severus froze. The boy's playing had changed. There was a smoothness to it that had never been present before. He looked up and watched as Harry smiled absently, his body rocking as his fingers stretched and tapped out a beautiful melody.

Realization dawned, and Severus felt a rare smile stretch his lips. This was the first time Harry had played with no other purpose but for enjoyment. This wasn't to vent or untangle his emotions. Harry was playing because he liked it. The music swelled and rolled through the room. It was something alive. Severus watched Harry's smile grow bigger. Yes. He could put up with Lupin for this.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was feeling better (not good, but better) the next day. Hermione and Ron seemed to notice and relaxed. Classes were going well and when he got do Defense, Harry smiled warmly at Lupin. The professor smiled back and winked. Things got even better when Oliver called a Quidditch meeting that night.

Reminded of the up coming Quidditch season, Harry felt excitement and strength return to him. He loved flying, and the team was all the more determined than ever to win the Cup for Oliver. The seventh year captain was obsessed with winning since Gryffindor had been cheated out of the cup for two years now, and it was his last chance to win it. He was beyond determined this year. So much so that he made them practice three times a week.

He continued to meet Lupin for lunch two times a week, and he had detentions with Snape two out of the four free nights that he didn't have practice. Harry worked furiously on homework whenever he had a chance, but even though he was doing all he could, he was still slightly behind. 

As the second month of school passed, Harry became closer and closer to his new professor. He was delighted to notice that Severus’s attitude had turned from loathing to general dislike. It made Harry feel like a million galleons. For the first time in a long while, Harry felt truly happy. Not even being excluded from the first Hogsmeade weekend could ruin it. Sure, he felt disappointed, but he planned to spend the day with Remus.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry sat with Ron and Hermione in front of the fire in the common room. All the Gryffindors were talking excitedly. Tomorrow was Halloween and they were leaving in the morning to go to Hogsmeade. Ron and Hermione tried their best to cheer him up, but he just smiled and shook his head. They didn't believe him when he said he was okay with not going.

"You should do some homework. This is a great chance for you to get caught up,” Hermione told him. "With all your Quidditch practices and detentions with Professor Snape, you're falling behind."

"I'm fine, Hermione,” Harry assured her for the hundredth time that week and the tenth time that day.

"I've been helping him,” Ron told her with a glare.

Harry sighed, annoyed. His two friends were fighting more than usually this year and it was starting to grow old.

Hermione sniffed. "Letting him copy isn't helping him."

"How's Scabbers? Feeling better?" Harry interrupted. Crookshanks chose that moment to jump into Hermione's lap.

"Not really, and he's in my bag, so keep that monster over there,” Ron said sharply to Hermione.

"Ron, don't blame him for Scabbers feeling unwell,” she snapped back. "He was sick before I ever got Crookshanks."

"Well, he's certainly not helping,” Ron muttered darkly.

As if to prove the redhead right, Crookshanks leapt for the boy's school bag. 

Ron and Hermione were screaming, Scabbers went running for his life, Crookshanks looked mightily smug as Hermione hurried him away, and Ron was frantic as he cradled the obviously ailing rat to his chest. Just another night in the Tower, and Harry went to bed to escape the hyperactivity of his House.

**xXxXxXx**

"Good morning, Harry,” Professor Lupin said brightly as Harry stepped into his office.

"Morning, Remus." Harry smiled back and sat in his favorite chair a little to the side of his teacher's desk. The professor had asked him to call him by his first name whenever they weren't in class, and Harry had taken to doing so with relish.

"Perfect timing." Remus grinned and gestured to the tank on his desk. "I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

Harry peered into the tank and saw a sickly green creature with sharp little horns. It had its face pressed up against the glass and was flexing its long, spindly fingers. "Cool." He grinned as he tapped the glass. The creature hissed furiously at him.

"It's a water demon,” Remus said as he watched the little creature thoughtfully. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong but very brittle." He turned away and smiled at Harry. "Cup of tea?"

Harry burrowed into the chair contentedly. "Sure."

Remus summoned a tea set and began to pour them both cups when there was a knock on the door. The professor called for whomever to enter and Snape walked into the room. Harry's eyes widened, but he said nothing. Snape looked at him calmly before turning to Remus. The Defense teacher smiled his normal friendly smile. It seemed he was not similarly affected by the childhood animosity between them.

"Ah, Severus, thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?" Snape set down the smoking goblet he was carrying with him, his eyes drifting back to Harry who was beginning to frown with worry. "I was just showing Harry my grindylow."

“Fascinating," Snape drawled sarcastically, but compared to his normal responses that was rather pleasant. "You should drink this directly, Professor Lupin."

"Yes, yes, I will."

"I made an entire cauldron full, if you need more,” Snape continued, and Harry leaned forward to see what was in the goblet better. It looked like mud.

"I should probably take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."

"Not at all." Snape brushed the gratitude away, and Harry almost smiled. He was very familiar with that particular gesture.

"What is it?" Harry asked when his Potions teacher left the room.

"I've been a bit off-color,” Remus said unconcerned as he lifted the goblet. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't very many wizards who can brew it correctly."

Harry watched him worriedly as the teacher slowly drank the potion down. Remus was sick? His worry subsided when he considered that Snape knew about it and was making his friend healing potions. Harry had utmost faith in the professor's skill with potions, so he relaxed back into his chair.

"So do you think you're team is ready for the match against Slytherin next weekend?" Remus asked and listened to Harry go on and on about Quidditch with an indulgent smile.

Harry stayed with him until lunch, but he knew he should try and get some work done before the others got back. He said goodbye, giving his teacher a long hug. 

Lupin held him, ruffling his hair when Harry pulled away. 

"See you at the feast tonight!" Harry called and bounded out the door.

**xXxXxXx**

Ron and Hermione came back from Hogsmeade glowing with happiness. They had kept their promise, pouring a pile of sweets into Harry's lap. He laughed at them and listened to their excited chatter before going with them to the feast. The decorations were beautiful and music was playing. Everyone was having a good time and the food was better than ever. Things were great. At least until they went up to bed.

The hall and stairs leading to Gryffindor Tower were clogged. No one could get through and they could hear Percy yelling for Dumbledore. Harry pushed his way to the front, his friends following in his wake. His green eyes widened as he saw the Fat Lady's portrait. It was slashed to ribbons. Black was in the castle.

The whole school was sent to the Great Hall to sleep while the castle was searched. They never found the convict and Harry overheard Snape speaking to Dumbledore. He believed someone helped Black get in. Harry was touched that Snape was worried about him and doing all he could to keep Black out of the castle, but he didn't like the implications. Harry had a strange feeling that Snape thought it was Professor Lupin who would help the murderer.

**xXxXxXx**

"Severus, what can I do for you?" Lupin asked distractedly as he gathered his papers from his desk. He had class in a few minutes, but all the papers he had gathered went flying as he was grabbed and slammed violently into the wall.

"I'm warning you, Wolf. If you are helping your filthy murderer get into this school, you will regret your betrayal. I will make sure you suffer so badly you will think the transformation is heaven. Am I clear?"

Lupin was generally a passive man, but not when it came to the people he cared about, and Harry was on the top of that list. With werewolf increased strength, Lupin reversed their positions with a growl, his eyes glowing gold. 

Severus tensed, still having lingering fears from when he was a teenager and was attacked by this very man on the night of the full moon.

"I would be the first one to kill Black if I were to ever lay eyes on him, do not mistake _me_ , Severus. He took every happiness from me. I blame him fully for Harry's sufferings."

"What are you talking about?" Severus asked, his face instantly blank as he watched Lupin's eyes widen. The werewolf hadn't meant to say what he had. Anger had loosened his tongue.

"Nothing." Lupin jerked away, but Severus wouldn't let him go.

"I care for Harry as well,” he said. "I need to know."

Lupin eyed him for a minute before sighing and sitting in his chair. He looked suddenly exhausted; his eyes were no longer gold but a dull brown. Severus sat stiffly across from him.

"He hasn't said anything, but I know the evidence of severe neglect when I see it." The werewolf looked out the window, his head resting on the back of his chair. "I was turned when I was five. No one wanted to touch me after that. It got to the point where I was shocked when anyone went to shake my hand or even brushed up against me. James and the others helped me, reminded me what it was to be human. I saw the same surprise in Harry's face. I suspect Lily's sister has not treated him well. I've not found the courage to ask him directly about it, but I’ve been making an effort to get him use to human contact again."

"It seems to be working,” Severus said grudgingly.

"It does." Lupin smiled and all of Severus' doubts went away at the adoring expression on the werewolf's face. "Harry is such an affectionate child. It's astonishing that anyone could purposely deny that boy love." He lifted his head and grew very serious. "Do you know anything about it?"

Severus sat silently. He would not betray Harry's confidences, but on the other hand, Harry trusted Lupin and was upset when his two teachers were at odds. To withhold information would only make the werewolf distrustful and wary, so he compromised and nodded, adding nothing else. 

The two men stared in each other's eyes for a long minute before Lupin nodded, accepting his colleague's silence out of respect for Harry.

**xXxXxXx**

"Come in,” Severus said in a harsh tone, and Harry slipped into the room. It wasn't a night that Harry had a detention, so Severus raised an eyebrow curiously, his dark eyes beginning to glitter with worry.

"Sir. I'm sorry. I know that I wasn't supposed to come tonight, but I really wanted to ask you something,” Harry rushed out.

"Calm down. Breathe,” Severus told him lowly and gestured to the boy's usual seat.

Harry fell into it and took a deep breath. He knew his teacher would wait until he was ready, so he took a few minutes to gather his thoughts. He felt it might be wise to start on more neutral ground before he asked after his friend. "I've been having bad dreams,” he said with a blush of embarrassment. "I… I know this is really petty, but I wanted… could I have some… Dreamless Sleep because I'm really tired, and the match is tomorrow and…"

"You thought I'd withhold the potion because you are scheduled to play my House team?" Severus sneered, eyes hard.

"Of course not!" Harry said loudly, horrified. "No! I thought you wouldn't because I shouldn't be having bad dreams at all anymore. I'm supposed to be over what L-Lockhart did. I mean, Kit's gone, now back as a part of me, so…"

"I see,” Severus murmured, understanding and regretful that he accused the boy wrongly. "Harry, listen to me. You will always remember and be hurt by what happened. It will never be all better, but there will come a point where what happened will be nothing but a painful memory and not something that hurts all the time. Even though you accepted Kit, you have not healed completely. That will take time and patience. Understand?"

"Yes." Harry nodded tearfully. "I just really hoped I was over it. During the day I am, mostly, but at night… It all just comes back to me so clearly and it starts hurting all over again."

"That doesn't make you weak, Harry,” Severus scolded. "I can see it in your face that's what you are thinking. You are not weak. It wasn't your fault. Give yourself time to grieve. Something was taken from you that you will never get back." He stood and went to the cabinet against the wall.

He quickly found what he needed and brought four vials of Dreamless Sleep over. "This potion is addictive, and it isn't always good to refuse your mind nightmares. They do have a purpose. So I want you to only take half of a vial before bed for three days, and then half every other day for four more. After that, only take some when the nightmares get especially bad and you really need rest. If it gets to that point, Harry, I want you to tell me."

"Yes, sir." Harry took the potions and smiled thankfully up at his teacher. He didn't know what he would do without him.

"I want you to also consider that you may need more than therapy to find closure. You may need to face Lockhart again before you move past this."

"I don't think I'll need that, sir,” Harry said quickly, face pale, but he relented when his teacher's eyes bore into him. "But I will think about it. If… if that's what… what I need to do in order to get better… then… of course, I will."

"I would be with you,” Severus offered. "You will never face that man alone again."

Harry's whole body relaxed in relief. "Thank you, sir."

"Is there anything else you need?”

"I… I was wondering about… Professor Lupin,” Harry admitted in a rush. "On Halloween, you made him a potion and he said it was because he wasn't feeling well, and I was sure that whatever you gave him would make him better, but today you substituted for him in class and said he was too sick to teach, and I wanted to know if he was alright."

Severus eyed the babbling boy in front of him. "He is unwell, yes. What he has can't be cured, so at times there is nothing that can be done to help him. My potion only gives him a little help. However, he will be back feeling better soon."

Harry's breathing had become quick, and he forced himself to breathe deeply as he had been taught. Severus waited patiently as he always did, his face calm and his eyes watchful. Finally, Harry got out his question. "Sir, is he going to d-die?"

“No," Severus answered with surprising gentleness. "The illness makes him sick, but it will not kill him anytime soon. He will be around for a while yet."

"Thank you." Harry sagged into his seat and with innocent eyes asked, "Do you really think he would help Black?"

"Why do you ask that?" Severus asked sharply.

"I… I overheard you in the Great Hall talking to Dumbledore Halloween night,” he admitted, eyes now wary but not afraid.

"I did." Severus leaned back, regaining his composure. "But I am now fairly confident he had no hand in Black's appearance here."

"Oh, okay." Harry relaxed still more and his eyes began to droop. "Can… Can I sleep here for a little while? Just while you grade papers? A short nap, I promise."

Severus sneered at the child who only smiled sleepily in response. With a sigh, he caved and gave a sharp nod. He flicked his wand and the student chair Harry was sitting in became a luxurious recliner. The boy's smile widened and he curled up like a kitten, asleep within seconds even without the help of Dreamless Sleep. Severus watched him for a few moments before contentedly getting out essays to mark.

**Chapter end.**


	10. Hiding in Defeat

**Hiding in Defeat**

Harry woke the morning of the Quidditch game to find that the rain of the past two days had become a raging storm. The winds were howling and the rain was coming down so hard that it was dark as night outside even though the sun was now over the horizon. He dressed hurriedly and jogged into the Great Hall. His team was already there and very agitated.

"What's going on? Is the match canceled?" Harry asked.

"Nah." Fred grinned. "Quidditch is canceled for nothing. But the Slytherins chickened out. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"They said Malfoy's arm isn't healed enough to allow him to play." George scowled. "They just didn't like their chances in this weather."

Harry wondered if Snape had been hinting at this last night. Now that he thought about it, it had been odd for him to say "scheduled to play". He shook his head with a wry smile. Some things would never change about his teacher.

"We've been practicing moves assuming we were playing Slytherin, and Hufflepuff's style is quite different. Our plays won't work any more, and they've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory, who's excellent!" Oliver yelled, having a panic attack.

Harry said nothing as the rest of the team tried to calm their captain. He looked out the window and grimaced. Maybe Oliver was right. It was going to be next to impossible to see the Snitch in this mess. Even so, when he followed the team outside, he saw the whole school had turned out to watch the game.

He stood in the locker room's doorway, watching several umbrellas swirl and dance across the pitch, having been ripped from people's hands. Thunder rolled every few seconds, shaking Harry to his bones. At least the lightening was frequent and bright. It made catching the snitch slightly less of an impossibility.

The two teams walked out into the storm. The captains shook hands and they all pushed off. Harry's Nimbus swerved in the wind, but Harry held firm and squared into the rain, regaining control. It took only minutes for him to become completely soaked and his teeth to start chattering. His Quidditch robes were heavy and dragged at him, making flying all the more difficult. Without being able to hear the commentary, he had no idea what was happening. Water on his glasses and the flood falling from the sky made him practically blind.

An hour later, Harry's hands were so numb he was having a hard time staying on the broom. He almost whooped out loud when he heard Madam Hooch's sharp whistle. Swerving like a drunk, Harry made his way back to the ground and ran over to where his team was huddling under an umbrella. Fred cast a drying charm at him and George cast one for warmth. He smiled gratefully at the twins.

"We're up fifty points,” Oliver yelled over the thunder. "We have to get the snitch soon."

"I've got no chance with these on,” Harry admitted and gestured sharply at his smeared glasses.

At that moment, Hermione ran up yelling that she had an idea. She grabbed Harry's glasses right off his face and cast a spell none of them could hear over the wind. She beamed excitedly as she handed them back. Harry put them on and found he could see again. They repelled water. The team hugged her and she ran back to the stands with a dark blush on her cheeks.

"Okay, team, let's win this!" Oliver bellowed hoarsely and they were all air-born again.

Harry was soon numb and soaked once again, but he smiled in anticipation. He could still see! He looked everywhere as he flew, dodging players and Bludgers. Lightening flashed and shot through the sky, and he saw clearly the outline of a Grim on top of the stands. He shook his bangs out of his eyes and the dog was gone. Frowning deeply, he flew closer for a better look when a flash of gold caught his eye.

The snitch!

He turned and bolted for it. Cedric saw him and raced toward it a second after Harry. Harry was closer and he had seen it first, so it was his outstretched hand gaining ground. Just a little more! Something ice cold uncoiled in his stomach. Cedric was right on him, and Harry's hand was almost around the small golden ball, but then his hand fell away and he swerved, slowing dramatically as vertigo rose up and almost knocked him from his broom.

He hung on for dear life, fifty feet from the ground, as darkness ate at his vision and silence slowly crashed down around his ears. He was just able to see terrifying forms gliding onto the pitch under him when he fell, listening to a horrible chorus screaming in agony and terror in his head.

**xXxXxXx**

A headache so powerful he thought he was being cursed woke Harry. It took several minutes for his eyes to focus and for him to recognize he was in the infirmary. The Gryffindor team surrounded him and as one began consoling him about losing the game. Cedric had grabbed the snitch while he was falling.

Harry hardly listened to them. He was too busy concentrating on his breathing and stopping a panic attack. He felt like at any moment he'd fall to little pieces, sobbing and screaming. His head hurt really, really bad and he felt nauseous. Sweat soaked his skin and his hair was plastered to his head as if he had never been dried off from the rain. To escape everyone leaning in around him, he pulled his knees up to his chest and hid his face against them. His hands came up to grip roughly at his hair.

He barely noticed Pomfrey telling the team to leave and let him rest. When it got quiet, he peeked out and saw that Hermione and Ron were still standing next to him. When his two friends saw they had his attention, they immediately began to tell him everything that happened. He could do nothing but sit helplessly and listen.

"Dumbledore was really angry,” Hermione said in a quaking voice. "I've never seen him like that before. He ran onto the field as you fell, waved his wand and you sort of slowed down before you hit the ground. Then he whirled his wand at the dementors. Shot silver stuff at them. Snape was right behind him doing the same thing."

"Then Dumbledore magicked you onto a stretcher,” Ron continued. "And walked up to school with you floating on it behind him. Flitwick and the other teachers showed up and he noticed your broom had blown away."

"I'm sorry, Harry." Hermione was crying. "It hit… it hit… oh, Harry, it hit the Whomping Willow."

Harry moaned and hid his face against his knees again. He just wanted everyone to go away. Why were Ron and Hermione telling him all this? His head hurt and he was scared. What did he care what happened? Pomfrey noticed his distress and shooed his friends from the room. He didn't uncurl even when they were gone and ignored Pomfrey's coaxing.

Eventually, she gave up and wandered away. He didn't know how long he sat like that, but it felt like only a second before a gentle hand touched his head. He looked out and found Remus standing beside him and so was Snape. He uncurled gratefully as Remus sat next to him and pulled him into a comforting embrace, murmuring soft nothings into his hair and rocking slightly.

Harry was embarrassed, especially with Snape standing right there, but he needed to be held bad enough that he didn't pull away from Remus. His blush began to fade when he found no derision or scorn in Snape's dark eyes. Harry could only see concern, and suddenly he was crying into Remus' shoulder.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus had felt his blood run cold when he and Lupin had come in to find Harry shaking and rocking mindlessly on the hospital bed. Had the child lost his mind? Was he now too hurt to be healed? He had never been as grateful to anyone as he was to Lupin when the man immediately wrapped the boy in his arms and rocked him. Harry responded, and Severus' knees almost gave from relief when the child's green eyes met his and there was intelligence still there.

He stood silently until the boy's crying eased into nothing. "Get some rest if you can. If you can't sleep, use this."

He put a vial of Dreamless Sleep on the bedside. Harry didn't smile as he normally would, but his tired eyes did shine briefly with relief and gratitude. The broken teen reached out a small clammy hand and Severus took it, squeezing gently. That got a shadow of a smile from the boy and Severus found himself smiling back as Harry relaxed even more into Lupin's embrace. His dull green eyes began to droop closed, obviously feeling safe enough to sleep without the potion.

Suddenly Severus heard himself say, "It'll be alright, Harry. One of us will be here when you wake. We won't leave you alone."

Lupin smiled knowingly and he sneered, hiding his embarrassment. Spinning, his cloak billowing about him, he stalked from the room. He was just at the infirmary door when he heard the blasted werewolf say softly, "We love you, Harry. Sleep. We're watching over you. We’ll keep you safe." _Damn right_ was all he found himself thinking in response. And that scared him. It really did.

**xXxXxXx**

For two days, Harry was kept in the hospital wing. His teachers kept their promise and one of them was always with him. Snape would sit and read, sometimes absently lecturing him about potions. Remus would tell him funny stories and hold him. He had come to enjoy the way his teacher would constantly try and fix his hair by running his fingers through it. They both laughed at the hopelessness of it ever lying flat, but Remus wouldn't give up.

Harry didn't talk much, but he was responding to conversation by shaking or nodding his head, smiling, and frowning. Neither Snape nor Remus pushed him and when Pomfrey started chiding him, the men had shut her up quick. Harry was deeply grateful for their support and promised himself he'd find a way to make it up to both of them.

His other friends visited, but Pomfrey shooed them out quickly and would wink at Harry when he smiled his thanks. Ron had offered to get rid of the pieces of his shattered Nimbus, but Harry gave the broken broom to Remus to keep instead. He had loved that broom and he couldn't bear to destroy any of the pieces. Remus understood and didn't say anything teasing about it.

**xXxXxXx**

Monday came and Pomfrey released him. Harry thought he could handle class again. He felt much better, but as soon as he entered the Great Hall, he was struck with dread. The crowds and chaotic noise were too much for him. He knew he couldn't handle facing the school or classes yet. He began to shake and retreated from the whole scene.

Silas slipped into his place easily. Harry's shaking stopped and color came back into his pale face. Casually, Silas wiped at his sweaty forehead and continued on to the Gryffindor table with a graceful stride. He was almost to his seat when Malfoy and his goons appeared before him. The blonde's bandages were finally off and glee sparkled in his eyes.

"Have a nice trip, Potter?" He laughed. "Did you piss yourself as you fell into the dementors' arms? I bet they only wanted to give you a little kiss!"

Silas took a smooth step forward, a silky smile on his lips as the Slytherins roared with laughter and the Gryffindors stood with angry growls. Malfoy's eyes widened in surprise as Silas put his face right in front of the blond's and spoke so quietly that only the two of them could hear his words.

"Be careful, Draco, or you'll be getting kissed as well. You're nowhere near as impressive as your father and won't escape the consequences of your crimes as easily. If I were you, I'd play to my strengths and start being cunning instead of arrogant."

Silas continued on to his seat, leaving a gaping and silent Malfoy behind him. The Gryffindors looked uncertain, but they followed his example and retook their seats. Silas smirked as Ron and Hermione demanded to know what he had done. He took great pleasure in ignoring them and was further rewarded by Hermione stalking off in a huff and Ron glowering at him silently. Yes, that was much better.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus watched Silas with narrowed eyes. Whenever the boy looked up to find his eyes on him, he'd smirk and lazily add another ingredient to the potion. Of course, it turned out perfect and when Ron got all excited about them finally doing it exactly right, he poured ginger in, causing it to turn into black useless sludge.

"H-Harry!" Ron cried, horrified and shocked.

“Oops," Silas said sarcastically.

Ron went nuts. Severus kicked him out of the room for yelling, took fifty points, and had everyone begin cleaning their stations. Ten minutes later, class was over. He called for Harry to stay after. No one waited for him, but Silas didn't look like he cared. In fact, the teen looked smug.

"What's going on?" Severus demanded.

"Just filling in for Harry, Professor Snape,” Silas answered lazily as he flicked imaginary lint off his sleeve. "He didn't feel up to school today."

"Why are you baiting Harry's friends?" He glared. "I don't think he'll appreciate it when he comes back."

"Most likely,” Silas agreed with a slow nod, but then his eyes narrowed with disgust. "But I don't really care. Those brats don't really have any concern for Harry. 'I hope everything's fine with the Dursleys' is what they wrote, I believe. They knew Harry wasn't okay, but all they did was give him useless words and continue on to talk about themselves. We don't need them. Harry may not know what true friendship is, but I do, and it isn't what they're offering. Now, if you'll excuse me, Professor, I am already late for lunch."

Severus stared speechless at his empty classroom. For the first time in a very long time, he had no idea what to do.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus was very confused. All through class Harry had been sitting in the back yawning sarcastically every ten minutes or so to display his boredom. He wondered what he'd done to get Harry so angry at him. Harry always loved his class. Ron and Hermione looked to be on no better terms with the teen and Remus' confusion turned to worry.

"Harry, please stay after,” he called as class let out. Harry remained seated and didn't approach until the room was empty. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong,” Silas drawled. "I was just wondering why you are teaching about hinkypunks. This is Defense Against the Dark Arts. Leave the creatures to Hagrid. You're supposed to teach us how to defend ourselves."

"I think I understand,” Remus said sadly and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. Silas sneered at it, but he didn't move away. "You're angry with me because I haven't taught you how to defend against dementors."

"I'm well aware you know how. You did it on the train,” Silas agreed coldly. "Don't get me wrong. You're the best teacher we've had in this subject, but that really isn't hard to achieve."

Remus’s face seemed to age with hurt and remorse. ”I'm sorry I let you down, Harry.”

"Make it up to me,” Silas coaxed gently, allowing his face to look hopeful and warm. At least that's what he hoped it looked like. "Teach me how to beat a dementor. Please."

"It's a powerful and difficult spell,” Remus said slowly. "I'm still weak from being sick, but I know how much you want this. How about we work on it when we come back from holidays?"

Silas considered demanding they do it now, but he knew Harry would never forgive him if he pushed Remus away. So he nodded and forced himself to smile as he endured Lupin's loving hug.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke up as soon as Silas returned to the tower after dinner. He was sitting on his bed with his journal open in his lap. He read Silas' summary of the day's events. He felt bad about being weak and turning away, and he felt guilty for Silas annoying his friends, but he was still thankful that he hadn't had to deal with the day.

After mildly scolding his alter, he made his way to the common room. It took nearly half an hour to get Ron and Hermione to forgive him. Afterwards, he snuck out under his invisibility cloak to go see Snape. He was afraid he'd see disappointment in his face, but Snape was as calm as ever.

"It just felt like too much,” Harry explained to him. "Everyone was goofing off and talking. I just wanted to run away somewhere quiet, and I guess that's exactly what I did since it made an alter come Out."

"It was Silas,” Severus offered. "Do you think you will be able to face tomorrow?"

"I don't know." Harry sighed. "Probably. Ummm… I know it's late, but can I play for a little while?"

"You may." 

Severus cleared the space and listened to the piano's music.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry wasn't fine the next day, but it was Gabriel who came Out to cover for him. At first, things were going really well. Ron and Hermione didn't seem to notice he was acting differently and got on well with Gabriel's laidback manner, but this peace only lasted until the first class.

"I can't take anymore,” Gabriel growled and stood.

Class had only begun fifteen minutes ago and Gabriel was hard pressed to stay awake. He didn't appreciate the enforced sleep at all, and he couldn't have repeated a single word of the dead professor's lecture. This was a waste of time. They all knew it, and like hell was he going to sit there and meekly sleep away time that they could have spent doing more valuable things. The professor's monotone voice tapered off as the ghost realized one of his students was standing and glaring at him. The rest of the class began to stir awake in response to the silence.

"I don't know what your story is,” the teen began, looking hard into the ghost's face. "But you obviously care about this subject. Why else would you continue teaching day after day, year after year? I admire that dedication, but can't you see what you're doing? You're putting us to sleep. We're learning nothing from you! We walk out of this class everyday with nothing gained! Is that really what you want to see happen to this subject? I think it's time for you to move on to something else. If not for yourself or us, then for the subject you're so devoted to."

"My teaching is not for you to question,” Professor Binns said dryly. "Perhaps if you had more interest and put in more effort…"

"It has nothing to do with interest or effort." Gabriel's glare became more intense, feeling insulted. "It is your job to _teach_ us and you're failing at it. If any of your students do well, it is because they have good books!"

"Detention, Mr. Potter. Your Head of House will assign it." The ghost then fell silent, his eyes roving over the class.

Some students had indentations on their face from sleeping with their head on their desk. Others had drool stains on their cheeks or were wiping at their eyes. The ghost slowly began to shift and drift in agitation. He hadn't noticed, but what the child was saying was true. Horror and resignation spread across his fading face. He had never wanted this for his students. Somewhere along the way he had lost his ardor for teaching and it had become mechanical. He had forgotten his purpose.

"You are right,” he said, and his voice sounded more alive than it had in a century. With each word, it got more distant, like coming from the end of a very long tunnel. "I am not conveying history any longer, but crippling it. It is time I moved on."

A few people gasped and all were staring in awe as their teacher began to dissolve before their eyes. As soon as the last wisp of the ghost was gone, everyone burst into loud conversation. No one looked over at Gabriel, now sitting with a triumphant smile. They weren't sure what to think. Hermione and Ron weren't as restrained.

"What was that, mate?" Ron demanded.

"I don't know if that was such a good idea!" Hermione cried.

"I didn't make him do anything that he didn't want to do,” Gabriel protested. "Come on, guys. You know we'll all be better off! This class was a joke."

"Harry Potter! What have you done now?" McGonagall came storming into the classroom. "I just got another notice of a detention for you! And you better have a decent explanation! I've held my peace after confronting Professor Snape for your excessive detentions, but this is ridiculous!"

Her tirade cut off abruptly as she stared at the empty desk where Professor Binns had been sitting. Her mouth firmed into an almost invisible straight line and she barked out a demand to know what had happened. Everyone began speaking at once, but she must have understood for she grabbed Gabriel by the arm and marched him from the room.

"Everyone stay seated. The Headmaster will be with you shortly."

"Where're we going?" Gabriel asked innocently, pulling his arm carefully free of the woman's grip.

McGonagall glared at him and didn't answer. He followed her silently and wasn't surprised when they ended up in her office. She sat in the chair behind her desk and glared at him. He gave her a rueful smile that didn't faze her in the least.

"Oh, come on. I didn't do anything wrong,” he said with a slight glare of his own.

"Professor Binns has been with us for three hundred years,” McGonagall snapped. "If that isn't enough, you've just earned your twenty-fourth detention! I'm really disappointed, Mr. Potter."

Gabriel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest as he met the woman head on. "I didn't do anything wrong. If he's been here three hundred years, then you know it was time he left. As for my detentions, I'm serving them, aren't I? I don't see why you're complaining if I'm not."

"Mr. Potter!" she exclaimed, outraged. "Obviously you're learning nothing from these detentions! Now I can see why Professor Snape insists that you need them. You will serve two detentions with him later this week and I hope you learn respect from this."

"Two?" Gabriel stood. "Binns only gave me one!"

"And I'm giving you another! Take your seat!" McGonagall yelled.

"What for?" Gabriel shook his head in disgust. "I think it's my turn to be disappointed. Maybe Silas was right about you all along. I thought you were a fair person."

"Mr. Potter! I have not dismissed you. Return this instant!" she screeched as the teen went to the door.

Gabriel ignored her and left the office. Classes had let out and he hurried to the charms classroom. Hermione and Ron were waiting for him. "Did you get in trouble?" Ron asked sympathetically.

"Yeah. Two detentions, can you believe it? What happened after I left?"

"Dumbledore came in and told us he'd teach Binns' classes for the rest of the year,” Hermione answered. "He's rather good. We've begun studying the days of Merlin. It isn't at all like what the non-magic people believed."

"So I was right?" Gabriel asked smugly as they took their seats.

Hermione scowled at him and turned to listen to the lecture. Ron snickered at his side. He hadn't been there more than half an hour when the headmaster came into the room, smiling and twinkling at the class. Flitwick respectfully stopped his lecture. Gabriel knew why Dumbledore was there and stood, grabbing his things without being asked. 

Dumbledore chuckled. "I need to borrow Harry for a moment,” he said.

"Of course,” Flitwick squeaked and waved for Harry to go even though Gabriel was already halfway out the door.

**Gabriel! You moron!** Silas hissed. **The headmaster can't learn of us!**

**He won’t,** Gabriel answered, a smug smile curling his lips.

**Will you please think outside of your delusions of your all-mighty power for one minute?** Silas drawled icily. **This man can see through invisibility cloaks. He is powerful and a master manipulator. He is crafty enough to corner you into admitting all kinds of things that we can't afford to have him become aware of.**

**Dumbledore is not here to 'get us’,** Gabriel growled. **I've never been on the bandwagon of hating the man. He does what he has to and protects us as much as he can. He's only a man. Powerful, but still human. I can handle him. Now shut up! You're distracting me!**

"Harry?" Dumbledore questioned softly.

It sounded like he had tried to get his attention more than once. Gabriel blinked and looked around quickly. He was standing in front of the headmaster's desk in the office. He offered a sheepish smile and the headmaster beamed back at him, twinkling once again.

"Take a seat, my boy. Lemon drop?"

Gabriel sat and shook his head at the candy when Silas demanded he eat and drink nothing while with the headmaster. Gabriel didn't see a problem with it, but he was willing to humor the Slytherin if it meant his silence. The headmaster smiled again and slipped a lemon drop into his mouth.

"Your Head of House has talked to me. She is most displeased with you,” he offered as an opening gambit.

"We didn't see eye to eye about Professor Binns,” Gabriel offered.

"Hmmm… yes." Dumbledore leaned forward. "What happened in class, Harry?"

"I just got to thinking,” Gabriel answered carefully, consciously trying to sound like their Host. "It must be hard to teach the same thing over and over for so long. I mean, he was doing it even after he died. It must mean he liked history a lot and thought it was important, right? But I didn't know anything about the subject really cause I couldn't stay awake. I thought it was sad and just couldn't sit and do nothing, Headmaster. I didn't mean harm by speaking up. I wanted to help everyone."

"Very noble, Harry,” Dumbledore approved. "Though you have just made me a teacher short, I am very proud of you. I have been trying for years to help Professor Binns pass on. You did the right thing."

"Does that mean I don't have to go to detention?" Gabriel smiled, happy with the return of justice.

"I have revoked the detention you received for speaking up in class, but you will still serve the one assigned to you by Professor McGonagall. She cares about you, Harry, and you should show her more respect."

**Say yes, Gabriel!** Silas demanded, but Gabriel frowned. It wasn't in him to concede an inch, especially when he felt he was in the right. **Gabriel, please. I'm asking you to just let this one go. Sacrifice a moment of your pride to protect Harry and the rest of us.**

"Yes, Headmaster,” Gabriel answered, his frown fading into a blank expression.

But Dumbledore could still see the mild anger in his expressive green eyes. "I'll put in a good word for you to Professor Snape. I'm sure he won't be too hard on you."

"Thank you." Gabriel bowed his head slightly and stood to leave.

**xXxXxXx**

_You killed Binns?_ Harry wrote slowly after he read Gabriel's summary of the day.

_I didn't kill him!_ Gabriel protested. _He was already dead. I just pointed out that maybe it was time he should move on and he agreed with me._

_Gabriel!_ Harry wrote firmly. _Can't you just lay low? I promise I won't put you on the spot like this much longer, but I need you and Silas to do this favor for me just a little bit longer. Please? I can't get into any more trouble!_

_Sorry,_ Gabriel wrote guiltily. _I didn't mean to get you in trouble, Harry, but that situation was intolerable!_

_I know._ Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. _Just… tolerate things for a little while. Okay?_

_I'll do my best,_ Gabriel answered.

_Thank you._ Harry smiled and lay back on his bed tiredly.

**xXxXxXx**

This went on for a week, Silas and Gabriel taking turns every other day. They had toned down their opinions after the disaster that led to them being sent to the headmaster's office, but everyone was beginning to get suspicious. Hermione was the worst. She was going around explaining to everyone what Bi-polar Disorder was and trying to convince all of Gryffindor Harry had it.

This of course made Ron and the others worry. The whole House began mother-henning him, and Silas and Gabriel refused to come Out anymore. They couldn't deal with it any longer without snapping and making their thoughts on the matter painfully clear. Harry took control back to prevent that and had to face everyone once again.

He did feel stronger than he had at the beginning of the week, but he still felt shaky so he snuck out every night to play his piano in Snape's warded classroom and managed to shake Ron and Hermione off every other day to visit Remus for lunch. The werewolf was so glad to be forgiven and had taken to hugging him tightly as a greeting. Slowly, Harry's mental balance returned.

After a week of being 'normal', Gryffindor backed off. Much to Harry and his alters' relief. Ron and Hermione remained worried and decided to stay at Hogwarts instead of going home for Christmas, so that they could keep an eye on him. Harry was glad they were staying, but was annoyed with their eyes constantly watching him. He could only hope that their vigilance let up before anything else happened.

**Chapter end.**

 


	11. Trust Broken, Trust Restored

**Trust Broken, Trust Restored**

On Saturday, everyone bundled up and made their way to Hogsmeade. Harry watched them go sadly before heading back into the castle alone. He was almost to Remus' office when Fred and George got his attention. The twins were hiding behind a statue of a hump-backed, one-eyed witch. Harry eyed them suspiciously before making his way over.

"What are you two doing?" he whispered.

Fred smiled. "We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go."

After Ron and Hermione, the twins were the ones to worry most about him. He smiled at them and assured him that he was fine, but they would have none of it and pulled him into an empty classroom. George closed the door and cast a few privacy charms before turning back to his brother and Harry.

"Early Christmas present for you,” he said as he pulled out a large, square, very worn piece of parchment from his robes and placed it on the nearest desk.

"What is it?" Harry asked, peering at the blank paper curiously.

George smiled proudly. "This, Harry, is the secret of our success."

Harry grew more awed as the twins explained to him how the parchment worked. When he saw the map for himself, he was just as impressed as Fred and George. It was amazing! He had known Hogwarts was big, but what you saw above ground was only half of the castle. The dungeons were amazingly complex and there were several secret passages that went across the school's grounds. There were even two that went all the way to Hogsmeade.

He bit his lip. He wanted to see Hogsmeade like the others in his year. He wanted to do normal kid things, but he didn't want to put himself, and maybe his friends, in danger. He looked down at the map for a long minute before deciding. He'd bring his invisibility cloak just in case and he'd be very careful, but he'd go. He wouldn't get this chance again.

**xXxXxXx**

The tunnel to Hogsmeade was filthy, dark, and very cold. He hugged the winter cloak Snape had gotten him closer and smiled. It was really warm. He hurried as much as he could and, after half an hour, he found himself crawling out of the cellar of Honeydukes. The store was so crowded that no one noticed his strange entrance. He smiled happily when he noticed Ron and Hermione arguing over sweets toward the front of the store. He made his way over.

"How about these? Think he'll like them?" Ron asked, shoving a jar of Cockroach Clusters under Hermione's nose.

"No thanks,” Harry answered and laughed when his friends spun around to face him. Both of their mouths were open with shock.

"Harry!" Hermione whispered loudly. "What are you doing here? How…?"

"I was bored so I thought I'd explore,” he answered with a blush, fidgeting from nerves. He didn't want to tell them about the map. He wasn't sure why. Maybe Silas had something to do with it. By now, Harry was aware that his Slytherin alter didn't like his friends. "I never thought the passage would lead here."

"Wow! I'm impressed!" Ron grinned and pounded him hard on the back.

"Ron!" Hermione glared. "Harry should not be sneaking around and exploring gods know were, if you don't remember!"

"Hermione, its Christmas. Harry needs a break. Black can't come here. There're tons of wizards and the dementors are patrolling the area. He's safer with us than without us and you know it."

Eventually Hermione caved and the three of them explored Hogsmeade. The snow was coming down so thick that he didn't even need to use his invisibility cloak. He was very glad he had come. Hogsmeade was incredible. He was so enthralled he hardly noticed the snow storm, but even they couldn't keep it up and finally made their way to the Three Broomsticks for rest and something warm to drink.

All three of them had red faces from the cold, but they were smiling brightly with happiness. The whole day was spent talking loudly and laughing, never had they had so much fun together, but trouble always seemed to find them, even if they weren't looking for it.

The tavern's door opened abruptly and the Hogwarts teachers came in bringing a gust of cold air and snow with them. Madam Rosmerta was quick to get their orders. Minister Fudge saw them and went over to sit with them; he also invited Rosmerta to sit with them since the tavern was fairly empty.

Ron and Hermione were hidden in the shadows, their table in the corner. Harry was safely out of view, hiding under the table in case someone looked over. He couldn't believe his bad luck and had to do his breathing exercises to try and control his panic. He definitely didn't want to be caught away from school. McGonagall still hadn't forgiven him for Gabriel's attitude, but he forgot all of that as the conversation at the teacher's table grew hushed and strained.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting just close enough to make out what they were saying. At first, they complained about the dementors and how awful they were. That led naturally to talk of Azkaban, and then to talk of the prison's only escapee. Rosmerta talked fondly of Sirius Black, remembering him from school. Harry went cold when he heard that Sirius had been his father's best-friend and the two had been leaders of their gang that included Remus Lupin and a man named Peter Pettigrew.

But the worst was yet to come as the others explained to her just how evil the man was. Sirius Black had betrayed his parents. Black was the cause of their murder. Black was the reason he had been forced to live with the Dursleys, and not only had Black been his father's best-friend, he was Harry's godfather.

Harry was shocked, but he knew it was true. He now understood why Snape had been worried Remus was the one helping Black into the castle. They had been very good friends in school. Remus had known who Black was, knew what he had done Halloween night thirteen years ago. Snape knew as well. Everyone knew except Harry.

"Harry…" Hermione asked shakily, pity and concern in her eyes.

Gabriel glared at her and covered himself with their invisibility cloak. Hermione cried out, but he easily avoided her searching hands. Ron tried to help her, but he was even clumsier than Hermione. Gabriel evaded them and quickly made his way to the secret passage under Honeydukes. He made the journey back to Hogwarts at a steady run. In just over ten minutes, he was stuffing their cloak into his bag and jogging toward the Defense classroom and Remus' office.

"Harry, I was wondering when you'd show up." Remus smiled happily as he stood to greet the boy. 

He was shocked when the boy whipped out his wand and pointed it level with his face. The tip was glowing slightly and there was a hardness in Harry's emerald eyes that had him freezing where he stood.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gabriel asked lowly. Remus wouldn't have been able to hear him if the classroom hadn't been so quiet. "Why didn't you tell me about Dad? About Black? About you? Tell me why."

Remus went pale and leaned heavily against his desk. He stood silently, a hand rising to cover his face, the perfect picture of defeat, but Gabriel was unmoved and stalked slowly closer, his wand never wavering. Remus felt tears burn his eyes. He had wanted to tell Harry himself, he really had, but he hadn't wanted to lose what he had with Harry and had kept putting it off a little bit longer. Now it was too late and he might lose Harry forever.

"I'm so sorry.”

There was no doubt in Gabriel's mind that the man meant it, but that wasn't enough. His eyes narrowed and the wand began to glow brighter. Remus got the message and explained. 

"I didn't mean to keep things from you, Harry. I was planning on explaining everything, but I kept putting it off. I was afraid you might think the only reason why I loved you was because you were James and Lily's son. And I didn't want you to like me back because I was once one of your parents' closest friends. I wanted it to be just us for a little while. I'm sorry, Harry. It was wrong of me to wait so long. I've betrayed your trust."

"Damn right you have!" Gabriel yelled, furious. "You're just like everyone else! No one cares what's good for us, I mean… the students… ah, kids." He couldn't believe he had slipped up so bad and he hurriedly rushed on hoping to distract Remus from noticing the odd phrasing. "They think just because I'm young, I can't handle what's going on, but you're all wrong. I'm a kid, but I'm also strong! Keeping me in the dark only hurts me more. Everyone thinks they are doing what's best for me, but really they are only doing what's best for themselves! There's no one left to trust and what kind of life is that? Is it any better than the one everyone is so intent on sheltering me from? I don't think so. I think its worse!"

"You're right,” Remus said tiredly, tears spilling from his eyes. "You are absolutely right. I was wrong and being selfish. I should have told you sooner. I'm really sorry, Harry. I don't know what I was thinking, putting it off. Please. Let me tell you now. I've wanted to tell you about your father for a while now."

Gabriel stared hard into the man's eyes and slowly lowered his wand. "Didn't you hear me? I can't trust you."

Without another word, he turned and stormed from the room. He headed toward the dungeon. Halfway there his stride turned smoother and Harry's arms stopped swinging, instead coming in close to his body, hands tucked into his front pockets. Silas strode into the Potions classroom. It was empty, as was the professor's office. He turned and made his way casually to the man's private rooms. When he knocked, the professor opened the door with an irritated glare that quickly turned into something neutral and curious. He stepped in and allowed the door to be shut behind him.

"I'm not here for pleasantries,” Silas interrupted him when Severus opened his mouth to speak. "Why didn't you tell us who Black was when you were explaining him as a threat?"

Severus' face went blank as he faced Silas, who stood not four feet from him. The boy's body posture seemed relaxed and indifferent, but there was a tension in his thighs and shoulders that told the truth about the situation. He eyed Silas, looking for any weakness or indecision to exploit. There was none.

"I was a childhood enemy to both your father and Black. When we graduated, I learned to tolerate and occasionally work with your father, though I admit I still disliked him, but I had never learned to do even that much with your godfather. These unresolved issues are what made me particularly cruel to you in your first years here at Hogwarts. If I were ever to help you in the way that I hoped, I decided to not think or talk about either James Potter or Sirius Black. I thought it best to disassociate you from my feelings for them."

"And this was incredibly hard to do seeing how very difficult it is for you to put down your grudges,” Silas sneered back, unimpressed.

"You do not know me,” Severus said so coldly that even Silas stiffened against it. "Do not presume to judge my character."

"Of course not, Professor Snape." Silas bowed mockingly. "How foolish of me to expect trust from the man we were placing so much of our own trust in. And it was I who encouraged that trust in you! Because of that, Harry believed he could talk to you about anything. We knew you weren't going to do the same, we didn't even expect it, but to keep something so important from us… You've thrown my recommendation back in my face. You've proved that not only can you not be trusted, but that my judgment can't be trusted either."

Severus felt his cold mask slipping. He hadn't felt it was his place to discuss these things with Harry. He hated Potter and Black. Surely someone better should sit down and talk to the boy about his deceased parents. Surely Lupin would. But the stupid werewolf hadn't. No one was telling Harry what he needed to know.

Every child needed to know about their parents, but Harry especially needed to understand the complexity of the situation now that Black was lose and after him. As Harry's confidant, it had been his responsibility, but because it was an unpleasant task, delving into emotional realms that he was awkward and incompetent with, he had shirked that duty. Now he had lost something precious and was unprepared for how much that hurt him.

Silas watched the pained expressions flicker across his teacher's suddenly vulnerable face. He felt just as regretful, but there were lines that you just did not cross. "You have done much for us, Professor. We are grateful, but we will not be coming back to serve detentions or continue therapy with you. I'm sure you understand. Excuse me."

And Severus did understand. Had their positions been reversed, Severus would not have been handling it as well as the boy before him. There was nothing he could say. There was nothing he could do to justify himself. He felt his hands clenching into tight fists as he silently watched the child he had come to love turn his back and walk out his door.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry sat on his bed, the curtains pulled tightly shut and warded against invasion. Neither Ron nor Hermione would be able to get them open. Whispering Lumos, he read the summary of the confrontations his alters had with Snape and Lupin. Silas and Gabriel also put in their opinions on the professors' reactions and reasons.

Harry didn't know what to think. He could understand the position the two men had been in. He was glad Lupin liked him for himself and not because of his father, but he could have made that clear without keeping this secret. He was touched that Snape didn't want to talk poorly about James in front of him, but surely he could have said three short sentences to let him know the truth about Black. Harry wrote these thoughts in his journal and ended his light spell. In the silent darkness, he curled into a ball, feeling very alone, and cried himself to sleep.

**xXxXxXx**

Ron and Hermione were really worried. Harry had warded himself in his bed and they didn't know what to do. They were just about to go tell a teacher when Harry came down to the common room just before lunch. He looked awful and tired, but he wouldn't accept their comfort so Ron suggested they go visit Hagrid.

"It will do us some good to get out,” he declared.

Hermione wasn't sure leaving the castle again was a good idea, but looking into Harry's face made her keep silent. If it would make Harry feel a little better, then it was well worth it, and they would be with him. 

It took them just under twenty minutes to get dressed and reach Hagrid's hut. They knocked, but the half-giant didn't answer.

"What's that sound?" Ron asked as he put his ear to the door. The others copied him and heard a low moaning sound. "Is that Fang?"

"Maybe we should get a teacher?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Hagrid!" Harry called loudly as he kicked at the door. "Are you home?"

Finally there was the sound of heavy footsteps and the door was yanked open. Hagrid fell on the three third years, bawling like a baby. They just barely managed to maneuver Hagrid back inside the hut and into a chair. All three had to sit panting for a minute to catch their breath afterward.

When they were better, they turned their attention to their distressed friend. Slowly the story came free. Buckbeak was going on trial. If Hagrid didn't come up with a good defense, they were going to execute the animal. All because of Malfoy on the first day of class. The three quickly promised to help.

While Ron and Hermione dealt with Hagrid, Harry went over to the hippogriff that was sleeping in a corner of the hut. He knew this was the one that Gabriel had ridden and wanted to meet him for himself. The creature was definitely not helpless, but it was also affectionate. Compared to Hagrid's other pets, Buckbeak was cute and cuddly. It would be horrible to see him die.

**xXxXxXx**

The very next day they were in the library looking up laws and trying to find anything to help Hagrid keep Buckbeak alive. At least the important job kept Harry from thinking about Lupin or Snape. He threw himself into the task and his friends didn't question him for once or try to get him to talk about what he had heard in the Three Broomsticks.

His nightmares got worse and he found himself looking in empty classrooms they passed expecting to see Lockhart lurking within them. He took half-vials of Dreamless sleep, but it still allowed images and sensations to slip through. Ron and Hermione were becoming increasingly worried as he became more jumpy and tired.

**xXxXxXx**

Six days later Harry was woken by Ron throwing pillows at him. It was Christmas morning and the two boys scrambled to the end of their beds to open their presents. Due to not being able to go to Hogsmeade, Harry had only been able to make his friends cards. He felt bad about it, but Ron and Hermione assured him it was alright. He knew Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, and the Headmaster would be ecstatic over the cards. He had made one for Professor Snape and Professor Lupin, but hadn't sent them because he still wasn't sure how he felt about them.

Shaking his head to clear it of his thoughts, he lifted a present and tore it open. It was from Mrs. Weasley. The box had a scarlet sweater with the Gryffindor lion knitted on the front, a dozen home-baked mince pies, some Christmas cake, and a box of nut brittle. He and Ron laughed over their similar gifts and tugged on the sweaters. Moving the box aside, Harry found a second long, thin package. He lifted the single white card. It read:

_Happy Christmas_

_from Professor Snape and Professor Lupin_

As soon as Harry finished reading the words, they disappeared. He felt something well-up in his chest and he reached trembling fingers to the gift. Ron saw what it was and gasped, practically throwing himself across the room to get to his side. The boys stared dumbly for a long minute before slowly turning to look each other in the eyes. They both began to smile at the same time.

"I don't believe it,” Harry said hoarsely, turning back to the glistening Firebolt. And he really couldn't. Even though they were fighting, his teachers still thought to get him something, and not just any something, but a very expensive broom. Harry remembered the respect Remus had shown when he took the pieces of his Nimbus 2000 and felt tears prickle at his eyes.

"Who sent it too you?" Ron breathed, eyes glassy with awe. "Was there a card?"

“No," Harry answered, knowing Ron would never understand why Professor Snape would buy him such an expensive present. Not without explaining his condition and the truth about his summer, which he wasn't ready to do.

"It's beautiful,” Ron whispered.

Harry nodded complete agreement. The Firebolt's handle glistened and he reached out his hand to touch it. He could feel the broom vibrating very gently under his hand as he lifted it out of the box. When he let it go, it hovered off the ground by itself, at the perfect height for him to mount. The twigs of the broom were perfectly smooth and streamlined. It really was beautiful.

"Oh, _Harry_! Who sent you _that_?" Hermione asked, coming into the room with Crookshanks.

Ron was still staring dazedly at the broom so Harry answered, "Don't know."

"This is the best broom ever made,” Ron told her. "It probably cost more than all the Slytherins' brooms put together. I can't wait for Malfoy to see you on this, Harry! Hey, can I have a go on it after you? Please?"

"I don't think anyone should ride it yet!" Hermione said urgently.

The boys looked at her like she were crazy, but before they could tell her so Crookshanks sprang from Seamus' bed, aiming right for Ron's chest. The redhead backed away quickly, yelling at the top of his lungs. The three teens scrambled to catch the cat before it tore the sick Scabbers apart. By the time they finally caught Crookshanks and Hermione left to put him in her room, it was lunch time.

Ron grumbled darkly the whole way down to the Great Hall. Hermione ignored him; her nose in the air on Harry's other side. Harry stood between them and heaved several sighs. He wished his friends could get along. He was tired of their constant bickering and fighting, but at least they hadn't yet tried to put him in the middle. That was something at least.

The Christmas feast was huge. There were only five students counting the three Gryffindors so Dumbledore set only one table out and they all ate together. Even Trelawney came down. Harry tried to avoid both Snape's and Lupin's gazes, and he felt his cheeks heat whenever he caught one of the men looking at him. He did offer them a shy smile and that set both men to staring at him longer. He fidgeted and looked away.

After eating, Ron and Harry ran back to their room, planning on taking the Firebolt for a ride. They were just heading to the portrait, broom in Harry's hand, when it opened. Professor McGonagall stepped in with a red-faced Hermione at her heels. Their Head of House looked sternly at them and took the broom away for testing. Harry couldn't believe it. He stared after his teacher, only half aware of Ron yelling at Hermione in rage and the girl yelling back that it was for Harry's own good.

Feeling tears prickle at his eyes, Harry ran from the room. His friends cried after him, but he ignored them. They had no hope of catching him. He had become really familiar with the castle, especially after studying the map the twins had given him. He was at Professor Lupin's door in minutes.

"Harry?" Remus asked worriedly as the boy ran into him and wrapped his arms tight around his waist.

"She took it!" Harry cried as Remus' arms came around him. "She's going to strip it down! They think it's jinxed because I couldn't tell them it was from you and Professor Snape and thought it might hurt me!"

"Calm down,” the man soothed and guided the young teen to a seat. "I'll make sure she doesn't damage it, all right? Professor Snape will help me get it back to you."

Harry nodded and swiped at his face with his sleeve. "Thank you. I've never gotten a present that great before and I really liked it."

"I'm glad." Remus smiled and knelt so that he could keep an arm around Harry easily.

"I made you a card,” Harry admitted, face going red. "It's up in my room. I could go get it."

"Thank you, Harry." Remus hugged him. "I'll love it, but why don't you send it to me later? Right now, I'd just like to talk to you. I've missed you all this week."

"I missed you too,” Harry admitted, leaning into the hug. "I was just so confused and mad and hurt. But… I understand why you kept waiting to tell me. I'm really glad you like me because I'm me and not because I’m my father's son."

"I do, Harry. I love you. You're a great kid,” Remus assured him. "And I'm so sorry for hurting you."

Harry nodded and they sat in silence for a few minutes before Harry timidly asked, "Do you think you could tell me about them? My parents, I mean."

"Of course." Remus smiled. "Why don't we go for a walk?"

"Okay. I'll go get my cloak and your card. Meet me by the front door."

"I'll be there,” Remus promised with a huge smile.

**xXxXxXx**

They walked around the frozen lake. The ground was covered in thick powdered snow. The Whomping Willow stood gray and naked. Hagrid's hut was small and far away, smoke rising slowly from the chimney. Harry was silent. He was waiting. He could see the tension in his teacher's shoulders, see pain in his face. This was not something that would be easy for him.

"I think I'll start by telling you about me,” Remus finally said. His voice was casual, but he looked straight ahead and not at the boy beside him. "You know that I have a… sickness. You've seen Professor Snape give me a potion that helps. I got this sickness when I was five years old. I was bitten by a werewolf. That in turn made me one. Every month I grow weak and restless during the three days that lead up to the full moon, and on the night of the full moon I turn into a blood-thirsty monster half-man and half-wolf. I no longer think like a person. I have no memories. I am fully animal. The potion helps me keep my human mind and prevents me from being a threat to people, but when I was little I didn't have that. My parents had to chain me up every month to keep themselves safe. I grew up as something to be feared. I had no friends; people wouldn't look at me or touch me. When they spoke to me it was with hurtful words."

"I know what that's like,” Harry offered.

Remus turned to smile at him. "I wish you didn't. My life changed, much like yours did, when I turned eleven. I found out I was also a wizard. The Headmaster knew what I was and still allowed me to come to Hogwarts. He arranged it so that when the full moon came I was taken to the Shrieking Shack and chained there. It was in the middle of my first year when James and… Sirius Black approached me. They had noticed that I was quiet and had no friends. They asked for my help on a prank. It was on Peter Pettigrew. I said I would after they talked me into it. Peter thought it was funny and we all ended up being friends."

"What was the prank?" Harry asked, eyes glued to his teacher's face.

"We turned his nose red and made it glow." Remus laughed. "Peter said he always did like Rudolph. After that, the four of us were inseparable. I had friends for the first time in my life. We played many, many jokes. That was our thing. You see, your father and Sirius were very smart and powerful. They grew bored with school, and Quidditch can only take up so much time. So they devoted themselves to pranks. Most of them were on Slytherins, of course. We were all Gryffindors and the rivalry was just as strong then between the two Houses, maybe even more so when Voldemort became active."

"You guys pranked Snape, didn't you?" Harry said as understanding dawned. "He said he was childhood enemies with you and he never liked my father or Black."

"Yes. Severus was pranked several times a week. Some were funny, some were humiliating, and once… once Sirius pranked him and it was very nearly deadly." Remus fell silent for a moment before shaking his golden brown hair and continuing the story. "I loved them like brothers, but I never told them my horrible secret. I was so very ashamed of what I was. I was a monster and if they found out they'd leave me. Well, they did find out and they didn't hate me. They stood by me and kept my secret. I can't tell you how much that meant to me."

"I can guess." Harry smiled and took Remus' hand. The werewolf squeezed it. "I'll keep your secret, too. I promise!"

"Thank you, Harry,” Remus whispered and cleared his throat before continuing. "James liked your mother for years, but she was a bit like Hermione and frowned on all his pranks. James persisted and showed her the serious, intelligent man he could be. They fell in love in our seventh year and married only a few months after graduating. I went to school to learn to be a teacher. Peter and Lily did all they could unofficially to help the war effort, while Sirius and James became Aurors, they're like warrior policemen."

"So they fought in the war then?"

"Oh yes,” Remus said grimly. "Voldemort was active when we were still in school, killing hundreds. People were growing more and more desperate and terrified. The Light was losing. Then a year and two months after your birth, Dumbledore heard that Voldemort was going to try and kill the Aurors and soldiers who were causing the most damage in his forces. Several families went under the Fidelius Charm. Dumbledore was already the Secret-Keeper for a different family, so James chose Sirius to be his."

"I know he betrayed my parents and told Voldemort where we were,” Harry offered, thinking it would be better if he didn't force Remus to repeat that part. "What happened after Voldemort disappeared?"

"I was away and didn't learn of any of this until days later, bur Sirius came for you. Hagrid wouldn't hand you over, so he went into hiding. Peter went after him and found him. Sirius killed him along with a dozen innocent people. Aurors came and finally captured him. He was put into Azkaban the next day. I wanted to take care of you, but I was not your godfather and I'm a werewolf. The Dursleys took you in."

Harry tensed and Remus could feel it in the hand he was still holding. He stopped and knelt before the boy and wrapped him in a warm hug, ignoring the snow that seeped in through his pants. Harry hesitated, but he eventually brought his arms up around the man.

"I'm sorry that I didn't check up on you. I was grieving my best friends, and by the time I asked where you were, Dumbledore said he couldn't give me the address. Said it would be better for you to remain hidden. I didn't push because it was true that the remaining Death Eaters were out to kill you to revenge their Lord's death. I thought I was protecting you."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked stiffly. He had never said anything about not liking the Dursleys or about the neglect. His blood ran cold. Had Snape told him? Did Remus know what they did to him?

"They didn't treat you well,” Remus said sternly. "You don't have to keep it from me. I can tell by the way you were so surprised and unfamiliar with friendly touches. I was the exact same way until your father helped me."

"It's alright." Harry blushed. "Really. Tell me more about when you were in school."

Remus let Harry go and relented. He had made it clear that Harry could talk to him, but he couldn't force the child to tell him about his life, so he took up Harry's hand and they continued their walk. Remus talked for hours about pranks and Hogwarts. He told only happy things and tried not to speak about Sirius again. He left his name out and focused on James and Lily.

Harry was pleased to learn he had his mother's eyes. He already knew he looked like his father. People told him that often, especially when he flew. He thought he could listen to Remus' stories for hours. They laughed and cried together. Harry had never seen his teacher look as alive as when he talked about the past. Feeling warm and safe, Harry stayed with Remus as long as he could and didn't go back to the tower until late that night.

**xXxXxXx**

"Come in,” Severus yelled.

His office door opened and a head of black tousled hair poked around the door. Severus looked surprised as cautious green eyes bore into him. He carefully set his quill down and gestured the boy further into the room. His whole body tensed, afraid the boy would turn the opposite way, but he didn't. Harry came in and sat nervously in the chair before him, fidgeting with his shirt in a way Severus had seen hundreds of times. He couldn't stop the small smile that graced his lips.

"Thank you for the Christmas gift,” Harry finally said, red staining his cheeks. "It was wonderful!"

"I heard Minerva has taken it?"

Harry nodded miserably, eyes in his lap.

"Don't worry. Lupin already came by and we're keeping a protective eye on it. You will have it back good as new."

"Thank you, sir!" Harry looked up, beaming, but the smile melted too soon for Severus' liking. "Sir? Ummm… I… I've talked with Remus, I mean Professor Lupin, and I think I understand better why no one told me about Black. I'd… I'd like… to be able to continue my therapy… with you, if you would still let me?"

Severus face was calm and neutral as he said, "Of course, Harry. I would be most pleased to continue. It can be too… quiet without your regular visits."

Harry's smile returned and it stayed. "I made this for you. I couldn't go shopping, but…"

"No." Severus took the hand-drawn Christmas card and looked it over slowly. It was a picture of the lake frozen and surrounded by snow. The Forbidden Forest was in the background. "It is well done. Thank you."

"It's nothing." Harry blushed. "Not compared to a Firebolt. I can't thank you enough…"

"You already have." Severus scowled and waved away anything else Harry would say.

Harry grinned at that familiar gesture. He had missed Snape just as much as he had missed Remus, and he was very glad that things were going to be alright between them. He felt the same warmth from yesterday rise in his chest, and as he thought on everything Snape had done for him, was still doing for him, it got stronger. With wide eyes, he realized it was too strong for him to deal with and unconsciousness took him.

Severus tensed as Harry sat straight and pulled his legs together. He knew that posture. It was Rose. He frowned. What could have happened to draw the eleven year old alter Out? Harry smiled shyly at him, green eyes bright with something Severus couldn't recognize. He/She looked expectant. Rose wanted something to do, wanted to please him. That much was clear.

"I don't grow my own ingredient here,” Severus explained, making sure she/he could see his mouth.

Rose gestured at the desk strewn with papers.

Severus thought about it and then nodded. He knew where everything was and didn't need it organized, but he needed to give the girl something to do besides stare hopefully at him. As soon as the girl's/boy's bright eyes left him, he felt himself relax. He hoped Harry would come back soon.

He didn't. Severus spent all day with a hopeful, smiling, helpful Rose. He was about ready to tear his hair out. Curfew was approaching and he was at a loss on what to do. He suspected by now that it was his presence that had brought the girl Out, so maybe Harry would be okay if he sent Rose back to the dorm? Could Rose even find her way?

"Rose?"

The girl was bent over, scrubbing a cauldron and couldn't see him. She didn't even twitch when he screamed her name. Severus sighed and touched her shoulder. She turned bright eyes to him with a ready smile.

"It's time for bed. Do you know how to get to your room?"

She nodded without looking away.

"Good. Get some sleep."

She smiled and nodded again.

"Goodnight, Rose,” he said tiredly.

She walked forward to hug him tight.

Severus shifted uncomfortably and waved back at the child as she left the room. After a minute, he slipped out after her. She stopped and turned around. She had felt him with her empathy. Damn. He waved her off and turned in the opposite direction. He would just have to hope the other alters would keep Harry safe should trouble arise.

**xXxXxXx**

_Silas? Gabriel? What happened today?_ Harry asked, bottom lip in his teeth.

_I don't know,_ Gabriel wrote. _It was odd. Maybe Rose just needed to be let Out for a bit._

_I have a different theory,_ Silas wrote more slowly, showing that he was thinking. _I'll tell you more when I know something for sure._

_Okay,_ Harry wrote, unsure. It had been a long time since he felt he had no control over his condition. He was really glad Silas and Gabriel were there for him. He spent a little time writing in his journal and made a mental note to talk to Snape about his dreams worsening.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry ate breakfast with Ron. Hermione sat at the end of the table, still being shunned by the boys. Remus came by and asked Harry to come to his office after he ate and he quickly agreed. Ron offered to come, but Harry made an excuse and hurried off by himself. He got to the professor's door and Remus opened it with a bright smile. Harry smiled back and took a step forward. He knew no more.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus was shocked by Harry's behavior and a horrible suspicion rose in his mind. Harry was sitting in a chair in a way most odd for a thirteen year old boy. He was also acting deaf. Over all, this wasn't Harry. He looked at the boy, making sure he had his attention before saying he wanted him to follow. Harry nodded happily and stood, brushing his lap off as if he were wearing a dress. Remus' eyes narrowed and he made his way quickly to the Potions classroom with Harry on his heels.

"Severus!" he called loudly and the man came scowling out of his office.

The dark eyes took them in and his face became a blank mask. With several swipes of his wand, all the doors to the room shut and powerful privacy spells were put in place. Remus felt his hair rising. This wasn't a good sign. Harry gripped his hand and loving green eyes looked up at him, silently asking what to do to make him feel better. He gave a shaky smile and turned his own eyes on Severus, demanding answers.

Severus knew it was time to come clean with the werewolf. If Silas couldn't prevent Rose from coming Out around Lupin, then it must be okay for him to know. It was obvious Harry needed the care Lupin could give him. He turned his eyes to Rose. The girl was focused on Lupin, probably feeling his distress. He waved his arm and the girl turned her head.

"Rose, thank you. You've done well. I need to speak to Harry or Silas now. Can you do that for me?"

She smiled and hugged Remus. She let him go and ran over to hug Severus before shutting her eyes tight. For several long seconds she stood there, then Harry's expression went liquid, his whole stance shifted. Green eyes opened and Silas turned so that both men were in sight. Severus went to stand closer to the werewolf to make it easier on him and the boy's posture relaxed still further. There was a hint of a sneer on his face and Severus knew he wasn't happy to be in the same room as them. Obviously he hadn't forgiven them just because Harry had.

"Harry?" Remus asked in tight, confused voice. "What's going on?"

"Oh, yes. Please explain it to him, _Severus,_ ” Silas drawled the name mockingly. "Lord knows he'll be completely sympathetic to Harry's plight."

At hearing Harry refer to himself in the third person, Remus' eyes grew wide with horror and understanding. Severus decided to verbalize the main points anyway.

"Harry has a condition known as Multiple Personality Disorder. The alter you brought in with you is called Rose. She is deaf and an empath. This is Silas."

"Don't stop there." The teen smirked. "You left off the best part." He turned to look right in the distraught werewolf's eyes. "I'm completely and utterly Slytherin. Didn't think your precious Harry had it in him, did you?"

"Is that animosity?" Severus asked calmly. "Do you resent Harry?"

“No," Silas drawled, bored. His hands came up to cross in front of his chest. "My animosity was directed at the wolf. Oh, and you as well, if you didn't catch it."

"I see." Severus mirrored his stance. "You're still bitter that we withheld information from you?"

"That and other things." Silas dropped the casual act and glared icily at the men before him. "I know what you want. You want me to tell you why Rose is coming Out. The only thing I'll tell you is if you want it to stop happening, you'd better stay away from Harry."

"What does that mean?" Remus asked. He stood with a hand gripping a desk to keep his balance and his other hand was trembling at his side. He couldn't believe this. He couldn't imagine what could have happened to his pup to make him do this to himself.

Silas sneered and turned to walk out the door, but as soon as his hand grabbed the handle his whole back tensed up. Harry turned around. Severus recognized Gabriel in the confident stride the teen used when he came back to stand before them.

"Sorry about that. I'm usually the rude one." Gabriel gave them a brazen grin. "I think you should sit before you fall down."

Severus looked over and agreed with Gabriel's assessment. Lupin was white as a ghost and looked like he might faint. Severus sneered and conjured a chair. Lupin sat dumbly, his eyes never leaving Harry. He sighed and conjured two more. Gabriel nodded and took a seat while Severus sat in the third.

"Alright. I didn't know what was going on with Rose, but while Silas was Out I began to figure it out. I think." He smiled. "Silas only ever acts like that when he's afraid for Harry. He thinks Harry will get hurt, but I know you two won't hurt him. I mean, I was all for gutting you, Snape, but I've come to learn differently. You both want what's best for Harry."

"Get to the point,” Severus snarled.

"Who… who are you?" Remus asked shakily.

Gabriel glared hotly at Snape, ignoring the wolf for the moment. "If you want my help, you'll stop with that attitude. I won't take your shit." Then he turned a gentle face to Remus. "I'm Gabriel. I handle confrontations and battles and such. Anyway. I think Harry's come to love you two, but Harry can't love. He gave that to Rose.” Gabriel shrugged. “I mean, he can like people a lot. He liked you a lot before, but this is different. It’s stronger and more long-lasting. He feels like you're his family now.”

Severus felt both touched and uncomfortable. So that was the emotion he couldn't recognize in the girl's eyes. He felt that revealed a lot about him and grimaced.

"Harry can't love?" Remus asked and tears fell down his cheeks.

"Yeah, well. I can't really tell you details." Gabriel shook his head hard. A pale hand came up to grip at his hair. Then Silas was back. The teen glared at them both. He stood and stalked from the room. The wards didn't even stop him. He flicked his wand twice and they all crumbled under his power, skill, and anger.

Severus reapplied them and turned to Lupin. They had a lot to talk about and he was glad he was in his classroom. They'd need a lot of calming potions.

**Chapter end.**


	12. Love and War

**Love and War**

It was almost noon and Harry found himself walking upstairs to his dorm room. He felt dread begin to twist his stomach. Why was he here? What had happened? Why was he blacking out so often? He ran the rest of the way and grabbed his journal. Before he could write anything, Ron came into the room with a scowl.

"Harry! What's going on? Why'd you ignore me like that?" He had been playing Exploding Snap by himself in the common room when Harry had walked by ignoring him. He wasn't too pleased with Harry leaving him that morning, either. He had stayed at Hogwarts for him, after all, and he was spending most of his time by himself and horribly bored.

"Oh… I'm sorry,” Harry said quickly, clutching his journal to his chest. "I didn't see you. Ummm… I was thinking of something else."

"Like what?" Ron came forward looking suspicious. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Ron, really,” Harry assured him. "I just had to get this book… I… ummm… have an essay to write for Snape as part of my detention and I completely forgot about it and… I thought I'd hurry and do it. We only have a week of break left."

"Oh. Want some help, mate?" he asked, reaching for the book.

"No! I mean… Snape said he'd take a thousand points if I had help,” Harry said in a rush. He felt a blush rise in his cheeks. He hated lying to his friends, but he couldn't tell them about his condition. Still, he felt guilty for making Snape seem worse than he was. It wasn't fair to the man and he already owed him so much.

"Slimy git!" Ron growled, face going red again with anger.

"Yeah, so… I'll just go work on this then." Harry eased around his friend and made his way out of Gryffindor Tower. 

He figured he should go to the library, but Hermione might be there and she'd be harder to fool. Instead, he made his way onto the school grounds. Without really thinking about it, he made his way to the Quidditch pitch and climbed up onto the bleachers.

_Silas, did you figure out what's happening?_ Harry wrote.

_Yes,_ his alter wrote shortly.

Harry blinked at the page when nothing more happened. _Is it really bad?_

_No, Harry,_ Gabriel intervened. _Silas is just being a brat._

_I am not,_ Silas answered sharply, the pen almost digging into the paper. Then Harry's arm relaxed and the normal elegant scrawl returned. _I am concerned for you. It seems that you've grown very close to the professors, but you don't know how to deal with that, so Rose deals with it for you._

Harry frowned deeply. _I don't understand._

_Exactly,_ Gabriel wrote. _You don't understand love, so Rose takes over._

Harry stared at the page. His whole mind seemed to have stopped working as he stared down at the four letter word. Slowly, he began to take it in. Love. He respected his teachers, trusted them, and liked them, even. They were his friends, kind of. But love them? He had heard Remus say that he loved him, but he had never really thought about it. Never felt he should say it back. It just slid around him and into background chatter. It wasn't what was important. All that mattered was that Remus and Severus were there for him.

He stared out over the pitch blindly. What was he supposed to do? How was he going to get through this when he couldn't even talk to Severus or Remus anymore? He was alone again, but before he could fall under to escape his fear and hopelessness, he realized that he wasn't really alone. He opened his journal. He didn't care what they talked about. He just had to know someone was there with him. Talking with his alters wasn't the same as being with his teachers or his friends, but it was enough to ease the clinching in his chest.

_Does Remus know about us?_

_Unfortunately,_ Silas remarked.

_Come on,_ Gabriel wrote back. _He was going to have to find out sooner or later, and I think he can help us more than Snape can._

Harry noticed there was no argument from Silas. _What's wrong, Sy? What happened?_

_Sy?_ Silas wrote in a long drawling hand.

_Sorry,_ Harry wrote quickly.

_It's fine,_ Silas relented.

_I think it's cute!_ Gabriel wrote and Harry could almost hear his laughter.

_Then you won't mind me calling you Gabe?_ Silas wrote and there was noticeable silence on Gabriel's part.

_So what happened?_ Harry asked again, trying to draw the conversation back on track.

_I know you forgive them, and I can understand their reasoning, but I can't trust that they won't withhold important information again,_ Silas explained.

_I think we've made it clear we won't be pushed around any longer,_ Gabriel argued. _They wouldn't do it again._

_We don't need them,_ Silas persisted. _We can look after Harry by ourselves._

_But we do need their help,_ Harry offered. _Don't we? Who else is going to help me understand Rose and merge with her?_

_Exactly,_ Gabriel agreed. _Harry needs to merge with more of us. He's vulnerable like this. Think of the dementors._

_I am aware,_ Silas finally answered. _But the professors have gotten emotionally involved. It will cloud their judgment. We should find someone else to help._

_Who?_ Gabriel demanded. _And Snape would never allow any emotion to cloud his judgment. He barely has emotions as it is._

_Then why didn't he tell us about Dad and Black,_ Silas pointed out in a lazy scrawl.

_Good point,_ Harry agreed. _But who else can help us? I don't want to tell anyone else, and I_ do _trust them._

_So it's agreed. Continue with Snape and now Remus,_ Gabriel wrote in a jaunty hand. It was obvious he felt he won the argument.

_How will we prevent Rose from coming Out?_ Harry asked.

_Silas will think of something,_ Gabriel assured.

There was no answer. _Sy?_ Harry wrote tentatively.

_I'll think about it,_ the Slytherin alter wrote.

Harry knew he wouldn't get anymore than that so he shut his journal and headed back inside. Ron was glad to see him, but he was still somewhat sulky. They played Exploding Snap and chess until dinner and the redhead was much more cheerful. So much so, that he didn't bait or tease Hermione when she came to sit with them.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry had fallen asleep and Silas came Out with a frown. He sat up and went to Harry's school bag. Carefully he wrote a letter addressed to both Professors Lupin and Snape. If it were up to him, he would ditch both, but Harry and Gabriel were adamant. A smirk slowly curled his lips as he walked to the Owlery to mail the letter. He may be capitulating with Harry's wishes, but he would not help them anymore than he had to. Oh, no. When things fell apart because the two professors betrayed them again, he would not hold any of the blame.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke the next morning in a tangle of sheets. He sat up panting, sweat coating his skin. He had dreamed Lockhart was back. He had snuck into Harry's bed and was touching him. Touching him and whispering how much he loved him. Harry began to shake and he hurried from the bed. The sun was just coming up and was casting shadows all over the room. He ran past the darkness where anything could be lurking and into the showers.

He turned the lights on as high as they would go and scrubbed until his skin felt raw. His shoulders shook and tears mingled with the water that drenched his face. Why wasn't this stopping? Why was he still having bad dreams? He wanted more than anything to go and talk to Severus. He felt safe there, watched over and protected. Nothing bad could happen to him when Severus was there, but he couldn’t, and remembering why only made him tremble more.

It was stupid. He knew it was. Lockhart had never said he loved him. Not once. The only thing he had said was that Harry was beautiful and good, so why would he dream that? And why would it make him feel sick to his stomach that he may love Severus and Remus? 

Confused and sick, Harry sank to his knees.

**xXxXxXx**

"What's happening?" Gabriel asked as he looked around the soul room. The ground was shaking very slightly under their feet and the area where Kit's door had once been, was cracking.

"Kit's door disappeared, but we could still see were the outline was,” Silas explained tiredly. "Harry isn't completely healed. He accepted Kit as a part of himself, but that acceptance is still fragile. It is possible for him to reject her again."

Gabriel frowned. "That can't be good."

"Of course it's not,” Silas sneered, but that crumpled into an expression of worry. "I have no idea what would happen to Harry if he split back into Kit and forgot all of her memories for a second time. It would weaken all of us, I think. Look. The cracks are spreading."

"Forget this!" Gabriel yelled and pushed hard.

His bedroom door slammed outward and he disappeared. Harry formed silently on the couch. He was unconscious, sleeping as he always did in the soul room, but for the first time he was restless - whimpering and tossing in his sleep. Boy was screaming in his cupboard. His cries had been getting steadily worse and now were a wail.

Silas lifted Harry's head and sat, placing it gently in his lap. Very tenderly, he ran his hand through the smaller boy's hair. Harry relaxed and stilled, but Silas didn't stop his movement. He lowered his head so his straight, chin-length hair curtained his face. Harry was hurting and they needed help, but how he hated it.

**xXxXxXx**

"Come in!" Severus called and was unsurprised when Gabriel strode in.

"Did you get Silas' letter?" he demanded, getting straight to the point.

"I did." Severus nodded. "You and Silas will try and hold Rose at bay, and Harry should be fine as long as Lupin and I remain neutral and not instigate feelings of… love."

"Right." Gabriel nodded once. "We need you to fix this quickly. Harry is falling apart and causing some damage in here,” he said as he lifted his hand to tap at his temple.

"What has happened?" Severus asked and came around his desk.

"He's been having dreams about Lockhart. They come at the tail end of the night when the half-vial of Dreamless Sleep wears off. I think thinking he's lost you and Remus has made him really unstable."

Severus frowned. "I see."

"I had to come Out to keep him from splitting away from Kit again. Silas says that would be very bad for all of us."

"I would assume so,” Severus drawled. "Can Harry come back now? I will assure him that he has not lost anything."

"Be careful,” Gabriel warned. "Pledging your support will cause Rose to react."

Severus glared. "I do understand, Gabriel. Thank you.”

Gabriel glared back, but he allowed his face to relax. 

Harry slumped and then opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion. Already his breath was quickening. Severus was careful not to touch him, but he bent a bit to catch the boy's eyes. Harry looked at him and Severs showed his most serious teacher face.

"Breathe." 

Harry obeyed and began to take deeper breaths. 

Severus nodded and began to talk calmly, utterly neutral. "As you can see, Silas has worked out a way for us to communicate again. It is recommended that we spend only a short time together. Same with Remus."

"Yes, sir,” Harry managed.

"Take as seat,” Severus ordered and went to his own behind his desk, putting ample space between them. He had never thought in a million years that he'd be in a situation where it would be _difficult_ to prevent feelings of care and love. He shook his head and decided to start with more familiar ground. "You are having dreams of Lockhart?"

"Y-yes." Harry nodded. "I don't know why."

Severus just barely caught himself before saying the boy's name. That would definitely crack the neutral façade he was maintaining and neither of them could afford that. "You have come to accept and understand Kit, but that doesn't mean you have done either about the situation."

"So what do I do to make them stop?" Harry asked tearfully as he wrapped his arms around his thin chest. "I just want to stop dreaming of it. I don't want to think about it."

"You don't want to remember it,” Severus finished for him harshly. Harry flinched and lowered his eyes. "Desist in such thinking immediately. You cannot run from your problems. It will only make them worse. Do you want to hand Lockhart more power over you?"

“No," Harry whispered, still looking away.

"Then you will face what he did to you. You will overcome it,” Severus said a little more gently.

"How?" Harry lifted his wet eyes.

Severus felt his chest tighten at the pain there. Thankfully his expression didn't change. "I had believed this would become necessary. I think you need to confront Lockhart. Tell him to his face that he cannot hurt you anymore. That you will not let him and you are stronger than you were. Maybe even come forward with what happened so that he is punished for what he did."

"But, sir!" Harry protested, eyes wide in panic.

“Harry," Severus said sternly. "I know it will be hard. I never said it would not, but you want to get better and this is the only way. Besides, if you look past your fear and hurt, you will agree that it will feel good to say such things to the man who hurt you. Furthermore…" he hesitated. He couldn't say he would be at Harry's side the whole time. That would provoke Rose. Hmmm… "I know I will enjoy watching you put Lockhart in his place."

Harry relaxed a bit and the panic dimmed as a small smile brushed his lips. He remembered how much Severus had hated Lockhart without knowing what that man had done. He could picture a smug and gleeful Potions Master standing to the side as he watched a two inch tall Lockhart get scolded by a thirteen year old boy, but the humorous cartoon in his head didn't last long. Harry didn't believe he could do it. He wasn't brave enough. He never wanted to see the man again.

"I have found out that there were others victimized by Lockhart,” Severus spoke carefully. Harry's head snapped up and stared at him. "It might be in their best interest to confront Lockhart as well."

"I'd… I'd feel… better… about seeing… him… if someone were with me… to… confront him,” Harry admitted haltingly. Knowing someone else hurt by Lockhart would be with him, someone who would know exactly what he was feeling, made the idea just barely tolerable, but first he'd have to tell someone else what happened. Could he do that?

"Let me talk to him first. He doesn't know I know and he might not like me telling you who he is. I need Lupin's help. As you know, my reputation isn't one for comfort. I will tell Lupin what Lockhart is guilty of, but if you prefer I will leave your name out of it for as long as I can."

Harry sat silently, thinking it over. He knew Severus was right. Whoever Lockhart had hurt wouldn't react well to the terrifying Potions Master cornering them. Remus could really help, but Harry didn't want Remus to know that he was hurt as well. The silence stretched. Finally, Severus broke it.

"Harry. He will not think any differently of you. As I do not think any differently of you. It wasn't your fault. You are not to blame,” he said with careful neutrality.

"I don't want his pity,” Harry finally admitted.

Severus smirked. "I assure you he won't pity you. He has a… particularly protective side for people he cares about. He will feel like ripping Lockhart to pieces. Pity wouldn't cross his mind until much later."

"You mean because he's a werewolf?" Harry asked.

"He told you?" Severus was surprised. Lupin was always so damn secretive of his disease and for good reason. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it?" Harry asked tiredly. "He's still Remus to me. And, anyway, your potion makes him better, right?"

Severus chose not to answer that or state his opinion. "Do you want to tell him or wait until he figures it out? I need him to help the other student."

"Can… Can maybe… Can you tell him after he helps the student and gets them ready to face Lockhart with me?" Harry fidgeted, practically tearing a hole in his shirt. "I don't think I could tell him."

“Very well," Severus said reluctantly. "But you will be there when I tell him. You have to face this, Harry. You have to be stronger than the past."

Harry slumped in his chair feeling exhausted, petulant, and frightened. "Yes, sir."

"Why don't you play for a little while?" he offered and cleared the room. "I have things to do, so when you are done just go ahead and leave. I'll clean up later."

"Thank you, sir,” Harry mumbled before sitting down at his instrument. He was really glad he wouldn't have to say goodbye to his professor. He knew that would have been awkward.

**xXxXxXx**

"Lupin. Come to my office immediately,” Severus called through the floo. It was nearly night and Harry had just left.

"What is it, Severus? Is Harry alright?" Remus asked as he stepped through the fire.

He looked tired and there was an air of illness about him. Severus looked him over with a professional eye and was pleased to see some improvement due to the rest the werewolf was getting and his potions. He was glad the full moon had passed. He wasn't lying to Harry when he had said he needed Lupin's help.

"Harry is fine. It is another student I am concerned about,” Severus snapped and went to stand by his desk. "I have just found out that Lockhart has a record of child molestation. I began carefully looking for evidence that any student here was victimized and have found one. I cannot go and offer comfort or counsel. You will go in my stead."

"My god Severus." Remus sat heavily in a student's desk. "How did you find this out?"

"That isn't important." Severus glared at the wolf. "I've already contacted the boy's family. They are expecting you, but they have no idea why you are really coming. They think you merely need a place to stay while your quarters are being repaired. Make up your own story on how they were damaged in the first place."

"Of course I'll help, but what about Harry?" Remus asked, feeling distinctly like he was in waters too deep. "And what does the Headmaster know?"

"He knows nothing yet. You will tell him you will be gone this week to better recover from the moon. He does not know about Lockhart or the student. You will not tell him until the student feels ready to come forward. Here is a book that deals with sexual abuse and recovering from it. Read it carefully."

"Why me?" Remus asked softly.

"You are empathetic to pain, having dealt with every kind there is for a very long time,” Severus answered neutrally. "You are perfect for this role, but most importantly, despite any feelings of dislike I hold for you, I know you can be trusted. You proved that with Harry… Silas believes we can be with Harry only as long as we're not overly caring, drawing out Rose in the process. Do you really feel you can act neutral around him? It is best you give him a few days to come to terms with Rose and all she stands for. Give him time to steady."

"If you think it is best,” Remus conceded. He was not stupid. He knew Severus knew more about psychology than he. Harry was in good hands and Remus refused to hinder the teen's recovery in any way.

"Go get ready. You leave first thing in the morning."

**xXxXxXx**

The week passed and Harry avoided Severus for most of it. He spent his time with Hermione doing homework or goofing off with Ron. It felt good to push everything to the side for a while and just be a kid. They had snowball fights and made themselves sick eating too much candy.

He only saw Severus twice and spent most of that time playing his piano. It made him feel much better, and if he were honest with himself, so did talking to Severus about what he was dreaming and feeling. Severus had a talent at putting his fears in perspective and making him believe he was strong enough to beat them.

Soon enough Monday, January third, arrived, and with it, the rest of Hogwarts’ students. Remus had returned the day before, but Harry had only been able to say hello to him briefly. The Tower was full of noise and life as everyone talked about their holidays. Oliver almost had an aneurism when he learned Harry got a Firebolt, but he had it taken away.

Oliver was more fanatical than ever about Quidditch and had scheduled them to practice every day of the week until their next game. If they didn't win it, they would be out of the running for the Quidditch Cup. Severus decided that their sessions should be cut to once every weekend and Harry was very relieved. He had no idea how he was going to do homework as it was.

He had been worried he wasn't going to see Remus very much due to his packed schedule, but he was pleasantly surprised when the professor reminded him of his promise to teach the charm that defeats dementors. So twice a week, Harry snuck into the Defense room during lunch to practice the Patronus charm. It was very difficult, but they struggled through.

At first, Remus had him practice just saying the charm and thinking happy thoughts. By the second week, he was able to cast his Patronus perfectly. It was a stag; Remus had looked shocked and sad when he had seen it. Harry was shocked to learn that the stag had been his father's favorite animal. After that, Harry practiced against a boggart. It didn't affect him as strongly as a real dementor and he had his Patronus to further insulate his mind from the damaging effects, but Remus still cut the practices to once a week afraid of making him ill.

Time went really quickly. He didn't have a spare second to rest and was working himself so hard he was too tired to have nightmares. He never asked Remus who he was helping, never asked Severus when they were going to confront Lockhart. Rose hadn't come Out again, as he spent less time with his two teachers. Even when he was with them everything was done with a professional air so he felt no conflict.

He wrote a lot in his journal that month, but only once or twice to Silas and Gabriel. Both of those times he had been asking them for their advice about Hermione. She was beginning to look ill because she was working too hard, but his alters weren't very helpful. Silas said leave her to it; it was her own decisions that led her to this point. While Gabriel said he should tell her that she was hurting herself and that she should do less. Ron was worried as well, but whenever they tried to talk to her about it, she'd snap at them or burst into tears. Eventually Harry decided maybe Silas had the right of it and left her alone.

**xXxXxXx**

It was now February eighth and in just two days Gryffindor was scheduled to play Ravenclaw. The whole team was on edge because the Ravenclaw team had lost to Slytherin, and if Gryffindor won against them as well, they would still have a chance at the Cup. Losing meant losing everything. On top of that, Harry still didn't have a broom.

He had taken to pestering both Remus and Severus whenever he could. He had been doing so for a week, but all they would tell him was that the Firebolt was fine and he'd have it back soon. They weren't lying because he got it back that day. Professor McGonagall found him on his way up to the common room and she was smiling at him.

"Well, we've done everything we could think of, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it at all. You've got a very good friend somewhere, Potter."

Harry stared at his Firebolt and felt himself swell with happiness. He was getting it back? He reached for it and she gave it to him without hesitation. It felt just as powerful and warm in his hand as it had the first time he had held it. He began to grin. Yes. He did have very good friends. He felt his chest swelling and clenched his hand around the broom. No. He couldn't switch to Rose now. Not in front of McGonagall.

"I daresay you'll need to get the feel of it before Saturday's match, won't you?" his Head of House asked, ignorant to his internal struggle. "And Potter – do try and win, won't you?"

"Yes, ma’am," Harry said and hurried past her. He focused on the broom, trying to ignore thoughts of Severus and Remus.

He didn't think it was going to work until he stepped past the portrait and his whole House descended on him. They effectively captured his attention and the moment passed. Everyone wanted to touch or even ride the Firebolt. Harry indulged as many as he could, but he was determined to be the first to fly it. He couldn't wait until practice the next day.

Finally, Harry was released and he and Ron went upstairs. He had just shrunk his broom and carefully stowed it in his trunk when he heard Ron scream. He held up his sheets and Harry went cold at seeing the dark red stains. It was blood.

"Scabbers!" Ron yelled. "He's DEAD! LOOK!"

Harry stared at the bloody ginger hairs that undoubtedly belonged to Crookshanks. It looked like the cat had finally won the war that was between them. Ron stormed downstairs, Harry on his heals. He yelled at Hermione, thrusting the bloody sheet into her face. She argued that he didn't know for sure it was Crookshanks. The rage on Ron's face and the stubbornness on Hermione's told Harry that this was probably the end of the friendship between the two.

**xXxXxXx**

For the first time since he had joined the team, the players weren't the first ones down in the Great Hall early Saturday morning. Everyone had come to see the Firebolt up close. Oliver laid it on the table and tilted it so that its gold engraved name faced up. People from every House came over to stare at it and sometimes run a revenant finger over its smooth handle.

Even Malfoy came up. The blond had been oddly quiet lately. Harry knew Silas had said something to him, but he didn't know exactly what. Whenever he asked, Silas would say nothing or answer vaguely, so he was really curious about what the blond would say. He was disappointed when it was the normal insults.

"Sure you can handle that broom, Potter? Shame it doesn't come with a parachute along with all its other features- in case you get too near a dementor." Draco drawled with a sneer.

Harry opened his mouth to answer when he felt himself unexpectedly blacking out. Silas blinked a few times, but he quickly got his bearings. He ignored the headache building between his temples and smiled coldly. He was very satisfied to see a flicker of doubt in the Slytherin Prince's grey eyes.

"Pity you can't attach an extra arm to yours, Draco,” he drawled, purposely savoring the blond's name. "Then it could catch the Snitch for you."

Silas retreated with a smirk and Harry came back to find the Gryffindor table roaring with laughter and several people pounding on his back. Malfoy was gone and he had a horrible headache. He nodded vaguely to everyone's applause and approval, blushing in embarrassment and anger at being forcibly removed.

**xXxXxXx**

"You know what we have to do,” Oliver said as they got ready to play. "If we lose this match, we're out of the running. Just – just fly like you did in practice yesterday, and we'll be okay!"

They walked out onto the pitch to a roar of applause. Harry eyed their seeker, Cho Chang. She was the only girl on the team and he had seen her fly before. She was good, but he was on a Firebolt. Both teams kicked off. The game started off fast and maintained the breakneck pace. Goals were scored on both sides, but Gryffindor maintained its lead.

It quickly became apparent that Cho wasn't looking for the Snitch herself. She was trailing him, sticking to him like glue. He tried to get away from her, speeding off, but she always caught up and maneuvered him by cutting in front or flying too closely. Several times he saw the Snitch, only to lose it again because of Cho.

Fed up, Harry grit his teeth and went into a very steep and fast dive. She followed thinking he saw the little golden ball. He pulled up, inches from the ground and shot back up into the air like a bullet. Triumph and joy boiled in his blood, and right at that moment, he saw it. The Snitch glittered high above the pitch on the Ravenclaw end. Cho was still several dozen feet below him and he sped toward it like a shooting star. Cho was hot on his tail, but she had no chance of catching up.

Suddenly, he heard her scream and looked back to see her pointed toward the ground. He looked and saw three dementors looking up at him. He didn't stop to think. He reached into his robes for his wand. Trembling slightly with adrenaline and fear, he shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"

The silver stag leapt from his wand and he whipped his head forward again, trusting it to protect him as he searched for the Snitch. He was only a foot away from it and it was desperately trying to disappear, swerving every which way. Harry followed it. Cho was now level with him, having gained ground when he had been distracted with the dementors. But he put on a burst of speed and his fingers alone curled around victory.

The next several minutes were a confused blur. Everyone was shouting and screaming and he was being crushed in hug after hug. He was laughing harder than he had in a long time and he hugged everyone back joyfully. When he heard Remus praise his Patronus, he spun and leapt into the man's arms.

"I did it!" he yelled in the man's ear. "The dementors didn't affect me at all! I didn't feel a thing!"

"That's because they weren't dementors." Remus laughed and tugged him from the celebrating crowd. There on the ground were three boys from the Slytherin Quidditch team struggling to get free from their robes. "You gave them quite the fright."

Harry grinned as Flint, Montague, and Warrington glared up at him. He gave a saucy wave and allowed himself to be guided by his team up to the Tower and the huge party that waited there. And what a party. Fred and George brought piles of candy and even came up with bottles of butterbeer. Everyone laughed and goofed off and played games that had everyone acting silly or bestowing kisses. The only Gryffindor who didn't participate was Hermione, who insisted she had work to do quite hysterically. Harry quickly backed off and returned to the party.

**xXxXxXx**

"AAAAAAAAAAAA RRRRRRRRRRRR GGGGGGGGGGGG HHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Harry sat bolt upright as he was ripped from his dreams by a horrible scream. At first he thought the yell was from his dreams, but then he heard Ron scream again. He flung his curtains open at the same time as the rest of the boys to find Ron staring in terror at his shredded curtains. Harry hurried to his side.

"Black! He was here! Sirius Black was just here! He had a knife and he cut up my curtains and was going to stab me and…!"

"Let's go downstairs,” Harry urged, thinking it would be a good idea to get help, and dragged his shaking friend from the bed.

The four boys scrambled downstairs where several other Gryffindors were gathered, having been woken by Ron's screams. McGonagall stormed in looking livid. She thought they were still having a party, but Ron was in tears and this quickly got her attention. Seamus and Dean spoke at the same time, telling her about Black.

"Nonsense, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?"

"Ask him!" Ron yelled, his tears gone, but the finger he pointed toward the entrance was shaking. "Ask him if he saw Black!"

McGonagall glared at the redhead, but she did turn and step outside. She left the painting open so that the others could hear how ridiculous this was. The students crowded close to hear their every word. "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?"

"Certainly, good lady!" the crazy knight who had replaced the Fat Lady answered.

There was a long moment of stunned silence inside and outside before McGonagall recovered. "You – you did? But – but the password!"

"He had 'em!" the knight said proudly. "Had the whole week's, my lady! Read 'em off a little piece of paper!"

"Which person," she said, her voice shaking and her face white as chalk as she stared at everyone gathered in the common room, "which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"

A shaking Neville Longbottom slowly raised his hand into the air. McGonagall glared so horribly she rivaled Snape before turning and storming from the room. The portrait slammed shut and they could all hear her ordering the knight not to open the door until she herself allowed him to. They were all locked inside while the castle was being searched.

Everyone began chattering nervously. The only ones silent were Harry and Neville. Harry was worried and Neville looked to be in shock of some kind. Ron was mobbed by people wanting to know what had happened and Hermione was discussing how Black could have gotten past the dementors with Dean.

**xXxXxXx**

They didn't find Black that night. He had escaped them again. The whole school interrogated the Gryffindors as they walked the halls and the Great Hall was a mass of curious and frightened kids. It took Dumbledore sending everyone back to their House table to return order, but everyone lost it again when the Howler from Neville's grandmother arrived. The chubby boy bolted from the room, almost falling twice, but they all could still hear the awful tirade when it erupted in the Entrance Hall.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke that night from a sound sleep. He tossed in his bed and then sat up with a sigh. He opened his curtains, but he could see nothing that had woken him. Then his eyes fell on Neville's bed. The curtains were open. The bed was empty. Harry bit his lip and crawled to the end of his bed where his trunk sat. As quietly as he could, he opened the lid and dug around for the map the twins gave him. He whispered the activating words and waited for the map to come to life. He sighed with relief when he found Neville's ink figure in the boy's bathroom.

He lay back down and closed his eyes, but sleep wouldn't come. Something was bothering him. After tossing for several minutes, Harry began his breathing exercise. A memory from dinner rose slowly in his mind. He remembered glancing over at Neville to see him staring at his food blankly. His skin was pale and his eyes were rimmed with red as if he had been crying, but now that he thought about it, Neville's eyes didn't look upset. They looked empty and dead.

Feeling dread, Harry crept from his bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. He carefully pushed open the door. The lights were off. Frowning, he called for his classmate, but no one answered. Now Harry was sure something was wrong and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. He whispered the lights on and gasped. Neville lay on his side in the middle of the floor, blood pooling out around him.

"Silas!" Harry invoked and fell away from the horrifying sight.

Silas strode forward and casually rolled the boy onto his back. He found the two slashed wrists and held them close together with one hand. His other hand held their wand and he began to chant. White light emanated from the tip of the wand and slowly snaked around the damaged wrists. Neville stared at him, barely conscious. His skin was cold. Two minutes passed and Silas broke out in a sweat. Then the magic disappeared and he dropped Neville's hands. The boy blinked up at him and Silas sneered as he wiped his forehead tiredly.

"Stupid boy,” he said harshly. "Death is never an option."

**Chapter end.**


	13. Two of a Kind

**A/N:** **_Warning:_ ****Mature rated scenes** **!** At the end especially.

 

**Two of a Kind**

Neville stared mutely, sitting in his own blood and leaning against the bathroom wall helplessly.

"You could at least thank me,” Harry/Silas said with a glare.

But Neville couldn't. He could only watch as Harry's sneer grew more biting. His classmate turned and went to leave when he shivered and then blinked in confusion. He looked around before his emerald eyes finally fell on him. They widened and Harry dropped to his knees right next to him.

"Neville! Are you okay?" he cried worriedly. "What were you thinking? Oh, god. Look at all this blood. I'm going to get help."

"Harry?" Neville was confused. What was going on?

"Yeah?" Harry stared worriedly into his eyes.

Neville had never thought anyone would care if he died. Why was Harry so upset? It wasn't like they were friends. And who was Silas? Why had he called that name? Out of all his questions, he heard himself saying, "Just leave me alone."

Harry was floored. "But why? What's wrong? Why did you do this?"

"You'd never understand. Not you,” Neville muttered, tears filling his eyes. He was incompetent even in taking his own life.

"What do you mean?" Harry whispered.

"You'd never understand what it's like! To be hated and made fun of every second of your life! To always be a disappointment! I'm a failure as a wizard, as a son, as a human being! Just leave me alone! Get out!" Neville was screaming now, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything.

"Neville…" Harry bit his lip. "I… I do know what it's like."

“No, you don't! Don't lie to me!" Neville shoved him away and grabbed the knife. He would finish this.

"No! Neville, don't!" Harry pleaded. "I'm not lying. Don't do this."

"You're a hero! You defeated the D-dark L-lord, and you're a star Quidditch player, and you’re smart, and everyone likes you! You're special and loved and your parents would be proud of you! My grandmother tells me how much my parents would be disappointed. She's glad they are crazy so they don't have to watch me dishonor them over and over!"

Harry had no idea what to do. He had never had to offer comfort to anyone before, but Neville had the knife and was going to try and kill himself again. He couldn't let him do it! So he thought back to Snape and Remus and how they had helped him. They had helped by caring and listening, so he really listened to Neville and felt pain because Neville felt like he did.

"I'm not a hero,” he said quietly. "That's a lie, Neville. My parents would be disappointed with me because... I never face my problems. I run away and then I don't say anything when people give me credit for things I didn't do."

"Shut up, Harry!" Neville screamed. He dragged the knife across his skin, but it was only a shallow cut. "You protected the Sorcerer's Stone! You killed a basilisk and saved Ginny! Don't lie!"

"I'm not lying, Neville,” Harry said and tears filled his eyes. "It wasn't me. I didn't do those things. It was Gabriel, alright? It wasn't me! It was Gabriel who did all that stuff and my mom who defeated Voldemort thirteen years ago! It's never me!"

Gabriel eased Harry In as his distress rose and looked over the teen before him. The boy looked shocked, which was an improvement since that meant he had forgotten the knife. He offered a smile and gently took it from Neville's limp fingers. "Hi. How are you feeling?" he asked gently, picking up the teen's arm to examine the healed cuts. He noticed there were a lot of old thin scars. Neville had cut before and he had cut often.

"H-Harry?" the boy stuttered.

“Nope," Gabriel offered with a grin. "I'm Gabriel. Harry got a bit upset so I thought I should handle things from here."

“Oh," Neville squeaked, obviously confused.

"Look. Harry would be really upset if you killed yourself, so why don't you just lay off for a bit. We're dealing with enough now as it is. Maybe you could talk to Harry. You have a lot in common with him, and it might make you both feel better. I know Harry sometimes feels lonely even with all of us Inside with him. I'll even give you some good advice. Don't believe what is said about The-Boy-Who-Lived. You don't know Harry at all."

“Okay," Neville answered shakily.

"Looks like Silas did a good job patching you up. Do you think you need more medical attention? I can take you to the Hospital Wing."

“N-no," Neville said timidly. He was really intimidated by Harry – _Gabriel's_ – blunt manner and absolute confidence. "I'll be fine."

"And you're not going to do this again? Or at least not where Harry can find you?"

Neville looked down in shame. "No."

"Good."

Neville looked up and watched as Harry's grin melted into a blank expression before becoming worried and flushed with upset. Harry's breathing got faster. He looked around before looking at Neville suspiciously. Neville offered him a nervous smile and Harry relaxed a bit, though he still looked really upset. Neville smiled more broadly, thinking 'join the club'.

"Are… are you alright?" Harry finally offered, eyes looking away.

Neville knew that expression. He wore it all the time. Shame. "I'm fine,” he offered. "Are you?"

Harry nodded jerkily. "Can we… can we get out of here? All this…?" He gestured at the spilt blood around them.

Neville blushed and got out his wand. It took him three tries before the blood finally disappeared. His blush worsened. He should know this spell. He had done it hundreds of times, but he was incompetent, this was just further proof. Neville curled his knees to his chest and began to cry.

He felt Harry crawl up next to him and wrap his arm around him. He was grateful; confused as hell but grateful. He sobbed out all his troubles. He wasn't sure why. Maybe Harry's strange behavior had shaken something loose in him, but he told Harry about his parents in St. Mungo’s - mindless because of being magically tortured the night the Dark Lord fell. 

He told him how all his life his family thought he was a squib and had done horrible things to try and get his magic to manifest and how rarely it did. 

He told him how his horrible grades only made his grandmother more upset each summer and how she was now only seconds away from kicking him out of her house. No one else would take in a failure like him. He'd be homeless.

He told Harry how after last night everyone was pushing him around for being so stupid and how he deserved it because his idiocy almost killed Ron and everyone else. He didn't deserve to be in Hogwarts. Everyone could see it. Everyone told him so. He had no friends and it was a joke he was in Gryffindor when he wasn't brave at all. He was always afraid and always screwing up and tripping over his own feet. The only thing he was good at was working with plants, and what good was that to anyone really?

As Harry listened to Neville's despair, he felt guilty. He let Neville go and wrapped his arms around his knees. "I should have noticed how unhappy you were. We've shared the same room for two and a half years. It was wrong of us to leave you out. You were just so shy and…” Harry shook his head hard. “No. That’s no excuse.” He turned to face Neville. ”I'd like to change that now. I know I don't deserve a chance to be your friend, but I'd really, really like it. I never thought anyone else would be able to understand me. I just smiled and kept my problems to myself. I never allowed anyone to see who I really was because I was scared. I don't deserve to be in Gryffindor either… Really, if it weren't for my condition, I'd be in Slytherin most likely."

Harry told Neville about growing up hated in the Dursley house. He shared all his secret beliefs that he was as worthless as they had told him. He described his cupboard and Harry Hunting and the isolation and scorn even at muggle school. He explained he had believed his parents had died in a car crash until Hagrid came for him and told him he was a wizard.

Then Harry revealed Silas' birth and how he got into Gryffindor. He explained why Gabriel was born six months later, and how it was Gabriel who did all the things everyone thought he had done. Neville listened through it all. He didn't interrupt and didn't look at him with pitying eyes, so Harry whispered the truth about his summer.

He told him how much Snape had done for him and explained why he felt so guilty for still talking bad about the professor behind his back just to keep his secrets. Harry hesitated, but when Neville still offered no reaction besides understanding, even when Harry brought up the boy's most hated teacher, he decided to tell it all.

Stuttering and crying, Harry managed to tell Neville about what happened with Lockhart and how he didn't even know until he merged with his alter Kit. "H-h-he thought I-I-I was so b-b-beautiful. The w-w-way I reacted. I would just l-l-lay there and let h-h-him… touch… me and… kiss… me. I just l-l-lost myself in the s-s-sensations. I can still h-h-hear myself m-m-moaning. OH GOD! I can't believe I did that! I hated it and I didn't want it and I was so afraid and helpless, but that was too far away and Kit just couldn't think of anything else because it felt g-g-good! He didn't even have to drug me anymore. I just stood there and let him open my clothes and…!"

Neville grabbed Harry into a bone crushing hug and the two boys cried on each other's shoulder. When Harry began to calm, breathing deeply as he was taught, Neville whispered hoarsely into his ear. "He… He t-t-touched me too. I couldn't tell a-anyb-body because I was too a-afraid they'd think I was l-l-lying because he was such a big celebrity and then I'd be an even bigger h-humiliation to my f-family for lying about something like t-that."

Neville couldn't breathe. As memories washed over him, of further weakness and humiliation and shame, he felt panic and despair swell until he thought he'd scream from madness. Neville groped for his knife and drew up his sleeve. He made a cut and felt the panic retreat as the small pain distracted him.

He made another and then a third. The memories were gone and he looked to see Harry's reaction, expecting rejection. The other boy was sitting with his knees tight against his chest and his green eyes were staring at him, but there wasn't horror or disgust there, just a pained understanding. Harry had torn himself apart and created alters. Neville cut himself. Both were coping techniques. Both were harmful.

Neville smiled exhaustedly. "I guess Gabriel was right. We are a lot alike."

Harry merely nodded. They sat together in silence. Hours had passed. In less than half an hour, everyone would be getting up and getting ready for classes. It was Monday, but Neville knew he wouldn't go. He was sick and tried. He'd lost too much blood. Harry looked horrible as well. His eyes were swollen from crying and there was a fragile air about him.

Neville couldn't believe this was The-Boy-Who-Lived. How had he missed seeing the truth behind Harry’s behavior? Probably because Ron and Hermione were always all over Harry. It was hard to pay close attention when all three were together, and those two were always fighting spectacularly, distracting everyone from the small brunet. He had looked up to Harry for as long as he could remember. Thinking about Harry being upset about not being his friend made him really uncomfortable.

"Don't feel bad,” he spoke up. Harry looked over at him in confusion. "About not noticing me. I didn't really notice you, either."

"I'll only feel alright if you don't…." Harry said hoarsely, his throat raw from all the talking and crying, and gestured to the deep scars on the other boy's wrists. The ones that would have killed him.

"I won't." Neville sighed and his lips twisted in a bitter smile. "I have a friend now, right? And I promised Gabriel I wouldn't hurt you."

Harry smiled tearfully and laid his head on the bigger boy's shoulder. Neville felt incredibly warm at that gesture. It was then he realized that his sarcasm had been truth. Harry Potter _was_ his friend now. Harry would be there for him and could even understand him in a way that not even Professor Lupin could. He shifted so that he could lay his head on Harry's. For the first time in his life, he felt he wasn't alone in the darkness.

**xXxXxXx**

That week Neville and Harry were inseparable, and no one noticed. Ron was busy preening under all the attention he was getting over almost being murdered by Sirius Black. Hermione was always doing homework and hurrying from one place to another. Harry and Neville out of the spotlight for once, and they were glad. They talked together and played games, basically they were learning to be friends.

Harry even let Neville ride his Firebolt. The boy was terrified he'd end up flattened on the ground, but Gabriel came Out and his confidence was contagious. He coached Neville into three laps. The shy Gryffindor did them without mishap. Harry hadn't minded Gabriel's interference. He was glad his alters liked Neville. Anything that helped the shy boy was worth any amount of time he lost in a black out. Even Silas approved of Neville.

Sometimes during Potions the Slytherin would come Out to mock Snape behind the man's back. It made the frightened Neville relax and erased some of the boy's terror of the dreaded Potions Master. The best part was Snape couldn't be too nasty to either of them for fear Silas would do something that would humiliate him. He knew very well the Slytherin was not happy with him, so the two Gryffindors were in a fairly neutral zone. Neville made two potions successfully, and Harry felt great as he watched his new friend smile honestly for hours afterward.

Neville was even able to help with Rose. Because Harry was beginning to push into her territory emotionally, the young alter became restless faster and wanted Out more often. Neville had the idea that if Harry paired with him, Rose could keep him company in Herbology. That way Harry wouldn't have her coming Out at an awkward time and she'd get the time she needed to settle.

Though, like Snape, he was disturbed by the girl's mannerisms in Harry's body. He eventually got used to it and they worked well together. It was refreshing to be with someone who held the same love of plants he had. No one else could see the beauty he could. No one else could feel the life in nature. Rose was really talented and Neville didn't mind her silence at all.

It was the best week in Neville's life. He didn't cut once. As for Harry, he had never felt so free, so accepted for who he was. He was beginning to understand where Silas was coming from when he claimed Ron and Hermione weren't good friends. Neville was so much more concerned and true than they were, but he still cared for them. They were his first friends.

That's probably why he got so upset when Hagrid called him and Ron down to his hut on Friday to chew them out for treating Hermione so bad. He told them she had been down to his hut several times in tears because Ron hated her and she was having such a hard time with her classes. Buckbeak stared at them with an angry gaze that made the lecture all the more frightening. Still, Ron was too furious to bend, but Harry promised he'd check up on her more.

**xXxXxXx**

The next week Harry thought up a system. Silas would sneak Neville and himself out under their Dad's invisibility cloak and cast a spell to mask scent. That way they could get past the new security trolls and go to their secret therapy sessions twice a week. At first, Neville quaked in terror at even the sight of the huge creatures, but by now he would only flinch. It was an improvement. Most of it was due to Neville not wanting to give Silas any more cause to sneer at him.

Once they were in the clear, Harry would come back Out and walk Neville to Lupin's rooms while he continued on alone to Snape's. After two hours, he would come back and pick Neville up on his return trip to the Tower. The sessions lasted two hours and they were always dragging the next day, but they knew it was worth it. Their teachers were helping them a lot.

**xXxXxXx**

Snape and Lupin decided that since the boys knew about each other and were growing close that they'd confront Lockhart on Saturday in two weeks time. They would have gone that weekend, but Dumbledore had scheduled it as a Hogsmeade weekend. The old wizard was always much more aware of who was where on such days since the students were less protected when they left the castle.

So they'd go the weekend after, as that would give them a higher chance of not being found out. Lupin would distract the headmaster, maybe invite Dumbledore off school grounds for tea or something, and Snape would sneak the boys out for three hours. He figured that would be plenty of time for the boys to face their abuser.

**xXxXxXx**

"Bye!" Harry called to Ron as the redhead left for Hogsmeade alone. "See you when you get back."

"What do you want to do?" Neville asked, standing beside Harry sleepily. "Want to play Exploding Snap?"

"I wish." Harry smiled over at him. "Unfortunately I think I'll head over to the library, give Hermione some company - even though she won't notice I'm there - and work on Remus' vampire essay. Wanna come or are you going to push it off until tomorrow?"

"I'll come." Neville shrugged. "Maybe Silas will even help us. Sometimes I think he knows everything."

Harry laughed as they made their way to the library. "Flattery will get you started, but you'll need more than that to bribe him to help."

Neville grinned. "True."

They found Hermione and took seats next to her. Harry said a brief hello and Neville echoed him. Hermione mumbled back, but she never looked around. The boys shook their heads with exasperation as they took out their own homework. Neville frowned as he unrolled his essay, "So do they have to eat the garlic or does just being near it hurt a vampire?"

**xXxXxXx**

That night the two boys met Ron for dinner in the Great Hall. The redhead talked about all he had done and gave both boys tons of sweets from Honeydukes. They finished dinner and made their way up to the Tower, Ron telling them about pelting Malfoy in the face with mud for the third time. Neville rolled his eyes with a smile behind the redhead's back. Harry laughed, but he pretended it was directed toward Malfoy. Ron didn't think anything of it and glowed with triumph.

They had just turned the corner to where the security trolls were pacing in front of the Fat Lady, who had returned after the knight's disgrace, when Hermione ran up to meet them. She had tears in her eyes. 

"Hagrid lost his case,” she told them. "Buckbeak is going to be executed. He sent me this."

Harry took it. Neville and Ron read the tear-smeared message over his shoulder. "They can't do this. Buckbeak didn't do anything wrong. Everyone knows Malfoy pretended he was hurt worse than he was,” Harry said dazed. He never thought it would come to this. He was sure Hagrid would win the trial. He was sure Dumbledore would take care of it.

"Malfoy's dad's frightened the Committee into it,” Hermione cried into her hands. "You know what he's like. They're a bunch of doddery old fools and they were scared. There'll be an appeal, though, there always is. Only I can't see any hope… Nothing will have changed."

"Yeah it will,” Ron spoke up. "You won't have to do it alone this time, Hermione. I'll help you with the case for real this time."

"Oh, Ron!" Hermione flung herself at the redhead.

Harry grinned and Neville blushed before they quietly slipped away to give the two privacy to make up. Harry was relieved that they no longer hated each other, but at the same time he was worried. It was always harder to hide his secrets from his friends when they were working together and not against each other.

Neville understood where he was coming from. Ron was Harry's friend, but he was also a hothead and would very likely make a mistake or say something at the wrong time that would spill Harry's secrets to the public. Hermione would diagnose and try to cure him, treating him like a test subject. Neither would help in the least, so he promised he'd help Harry keep them away from the truth.

**xXxXxXx**

The next day at Care of Magical Creatures Harry, Neville, Ron, and Hermione were doing their best to comfort Hagrid and assure him that the appeal scheduled in June would go much better. The giant had little hope of that, however, and kept bursting into tears all throughout class.

When they were dismissed, they were behind Malfoy and a group of Slytherins. The blond was badmouthing Hagrid and gleefully describing Buckbeak's head being cut off. Hermione snapped. She marched right up to him, spun him around, and hit him full in the face with all her strength.

"Don't you dare call Hagrid pathetic, you foul – you evil…"

"Hermione!" Ron gasped, shocked.

Neville had grabbed her hand when she raised it to hit the pureblood again. Malfoy reached for his wand, but Harry already had his ready. Malfoy looked over the four Gryffindors and did the smart thing for once. He retreated. When they were alone, Neville let Hermione go and the boys stared at her in awe.

“ _Hermione,_ " Ron said again, but this time he sounded impressed.

Hermione blushed and spun to face Harry with fury still burning in her eyes, "You'd better beat them in the Quidditch final! You had just better, because I can't stand it if Slytherin wins!"

"We'd better go,” Neville said carefully, wanting to distract the hysterical girl. She looked about ready to hit Harry! "We're due in Charms."

The four of them ran, but they still didn't make it in time.

"You're late, boys!" Professor Flitwick scolded them as sternly as he was able to. "Come along, quickly, wands out, we're experimenting with Cheering Charms today, we've already divided into pairs."

They scrambled to empty desks. Harry and Neville paired up, expecting Ron to pair with Hermione, but the redhead looked around and couldn't find her. Harry and Neville looked, too, but she wasn't there. They all knew she was right with them when they had opened the door to come into the classroom. What had happened?

Harry frowned. "That's weird. Maybe she went to the bathroom or something?"

**xXxXxXx**

Hermione wasn't at lunch either so they hurried to the Tower to see if she was there. They stared with a mixture of worry and confusion as they found her sleeping on an open textbook by the fire. Ron woke her and she was horrified at missing a class. She ran from the room to talk to Flitwick before Divination. The boys shared a hopeless look and went back to class. Ron was loudly claiming that Hermione had finally cracked up. Harry and Neville silently agreed with him.

**xXxXxXx**

"There is something here!" Professor Trelawney whispered, lowering her face to Harry and Neville's crystal ball. "Something moving… but what is it?"

Neville glanced over at Harry and they shared an uneasy glance. Neither believed Trelawney had talent, but they couldn't seem to dismiss the woman altogether. Harry fidgeted with nerves, knowing whatever was coming wasn't going to be pleasant if his professor could see it.

"My dear. It is here, plainer than ever before… my dear, stalking toward you, growing ever closer… the Gr - "

"Oh, for _goodness_ sake!" Hermione said loudly, scowling at the woman. "Not that ridiculous Grim _again_!"

Trelawney stared at Hermione in shock. Neville was leaning away from their teacher nervously and Harry was wide-eyed. Ron just looked awed again.

"I am sorry to say that from the moment you have arrived in this class, my _dear_ , it has been apparent that you do not have what the noble art of Divination requires,” Trelawney said spitefully. "Indeed, I don't remember ever meeting a student whose mind was so hopelessly mundane."

"Fine!" Hermione practically screamed. "I give up! I'm leaving! I have much better things to do with my time than allow a fraud like you to take up any of it!"

And as she marched from the room for the last time in her Hogwarts career Ron whispered, "Cracked. She's cracked."

**xXxXxXx**

"Hermione?" Neville asked. They were in the library. Harry was at Quidditch practice and Ron was in the common room playing chess. The bushy-haired girl looked up almost wildly. She had dark circles under her eyes and ink smudges on her cheek and forehead.

"Yes, Neville?" her voice was strained and her eyes kept drifting back to her papers.

"Do you want some help? I could look things up for you or something."

She stared at him in shock for a moment before bursting into tears. Neville shifted uncomfortably and patted at her back, unsure why she was crying or what to do to make her stop. Fortunately, she stopped on her own. "Thank you, Neville. I really appreciate it. I just have so much to do, but I can't give anything up since I begged Professor McGonagall for all my classes."

Neville smiled shyly. "I understand. What can I do? I've finished all my homework."

"Can you proofread my papers and essays?" She asked hopefully. "That would save me a lot of time."

"Sure. I can do that,” Neville said gladly and settled in beside her.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville and Harry were still tense with nerves despite the strong calming potion Severus had given them. He said nothing about that and offered them the portkey he had spent the last two weeks making. It was a normal looking parchment with some class notes on it. Harry and Neville reached and touched the paper. Severus spoke the activating word and they were gone.

They arrived in a deserted alley in London. Neville had fallen backwards on his butt and Harry had staggered, clutching his stomach and panting for breath. Severus watched them with a blank face. He knew that such travel would have erased a good portion of the calming draught, but he had more should it be necessary. However, he didn't want them completely numb or this visit would be pointless.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked weakly as he pulled Neville to his feet.

“Y-yeah," Neville stuttered back and looked with wide, fearful eyes at the muggle building right across from the alley.

The sign read Purge and Dows, Ltd. It was an old-fashioned department store built with red bricks. Muggles stared at it with disgust or curiosity due to the "Closed for Refurbishment" sign that hung on the building's front door. Severus, wearing dark blue jeans and a white button-up shirt, made his way casually over to the old, dark building. Harry and Neville, also in muggle clothes, followed much more slowly.

Severus spoke to a dummy standing in the store's shop window and it nodded very faintly. He grabbed both boys and leaned against the window. Looking both ways to be sure they didn't have an audience, he walked backward and through the barrier. Harry gasped in surprise, but Neville was very used to this. He came here often to see his parents.

Harry looked around and found himself in a reception area. There were two dozen chairs and less than half were filled with injured or sick witches and wizards. Severus ignored them and walked up to the front desk. The receptionist was a plump blonde witch with a perpetual smile.

"How may I help you?" she asked brightly.

"I have an appointment to see Mr. Lockhart,” Severus told her.

"Yes, of course." She smiled and began searching for a paper. "Isn't it great that he's made such progress? The spell damage would have been permanent had the wand used in the casting not been broken. He's made great progress in these last three months."

"I am aware,” Severus said icily. 

The witch's smile didn't disappear, but it definitely had a suddenly nervous edge. "Sign here please."

Severus did so and led the boys past the reception area and toward an elevator. Harry looked over the directory posted beside it. Anything to keep him from thinking about what would happen in the next few minutes.

Ground Floor: Artifact Accidents (Cauldron explosion, wand-backfiring, broom crashes, ect.)

First Floor: Creature-Induced Injuries (Bites, stings, burns, embedded spiders, ect.)

Second Floor: Magical Bugs (Contagious maladies, e.g., dragon pox, vanishing sickness, scrofungulus.)

Third Floor: Potion and Plant Poisoning (Rashes, regurgitation, uncontrollable giggling, etc.)

Fourth Floor: Spell Damage (Unliftable jinxes, hexes, and incorrectly applied charms, etc.)

Fifth Floor: Visitor's Tearoom and Hospital Shop.

They stepped into the stairwell and began to climb. They ignored the chattering portraits of medi-wizards and witches. They were just passing the second landing when Neville finally spoke up.

"Where are w-w-we going, s-s-sir?"

"Fourth floor, Jonas Hectare Ward,” he answered calmly.

"He was in my p-p-parent's ward last s-s-summer. I saw h-h-him." 

Neville was shaking and Harry took his hand tightly in his. His own green eyes growing more panicked.

"He was,” Severus agreed. "But just before school started they removed him from the long-term ward because he showed signs of recovering. It was reported the wand used to Obliviate him was broken?"

"I don't know." Harry shook his head rapidly, his breathing quickening. Neville was now pressed right up against his side and he didn't know who was comforting whom.

Severus reached into his robes and brought out a mild calming potion. The boys downed them without question and slowly their breathing evened. He decided it would be better to distract them and keep them from dwelling in their memories. "Lockhart has his memories slowly returning to him. The bulk of his childhood and his personality has become accessible to him. The healers predict he may be free from any memory loss in seven months time."

"Does he remember…" Harry couldn't finish his question and shut his eyes tight.

"He has random bits and pieces of his adult life. It is impossible to know what he remembers until we ask him,” Severus answered.

Gabriel opened his eyes and stood straight, confidence and strength radiating off him as it always did. Neville smiled in gratitude as the protector wrapped his arms around his shoulders affectionately. 

Severus glared fiercely.

"This isn't working." Gabriel glared right back, unafraid and obviously just as angry. "Harry is upset and Neville looks about to fall apart!"

"Of course they are upset! This isn't a happy family reunion,” Severus snapped. "But they will continue to be upset for the rest of their lives if they don't do this. Now go away, Gabriel."

“No," Gabriel said simply, his grip on the trembling Neville tightening. "I'm walking him to the room and Harry can come Out then. The wait is just too much for him."

Severus glared and turned to march up the stairs once more. Gabriel backed away from Neville and smiled into the boy's terrified face. He took Neville's hand and began to lead him up the stairs calmly.

"You can do this, Neville. Both you and Harry can. That bastard can't hurt you again. Snape won't allow it. And even if he did, Silas and I would kick his ass. You have nothing to be afraid of. Enjoy it. Kick him in the balls for me!"

Neville laughed weakly, tears falling from his eyes. They stepped onto the fourth floor and turned to see Snape waiting for them impatiently. Gabriel stuck out his tongue and Neville laughed again. The boys followed after the dower man without speaking anymore. Neville wondered if he could stop by to see his parents while they were here. He'd never gotten to visit them without his grandmother looming behind him, her stern and hard gaze never leaving him.

All too soon, they reached the Jonas Hectare Ward. Severus opened the door and the three of them stepped inside a long, straight, white corridor. Witches and Wizards wearing green robes were walking here and there. Most went in and out of the rooms that ran to either side of the hall. Severus went forward and they saw names outside of the doors. Almost at the end, they found the one that had the name Gilderoy Lockhart outside it.

Severus looked darkly at Gabriel. "Alright. We're here."

"You'll do fine,” Gabriel said confidently to the boy beside him. Neville nodded jerkily. "Watch out for Harry for us. We've got your back."

"O-o-okay."

Gabriel shook Neville’s shoulder and then relaxed. Harry blinked and instinctively huddled at Neville's side when he saw the door. Neville leaned against him. Severus sighed and lifted his wand. He cast a weak cheering charm before opening the door. He stepped in and grabbed both boys by their shirts and pulled them in after him before shutting the door firmly behind them. Neville was relieved to see he didn't put up his wand.

Harry crumpled to the ground, slamming his back against the door. He was rocking and sobbing, whispering he was sorry and he'd do better every few seconds. Severus knelt beside him and whispered reassuringly to him. He promised Boy he was safe and that he wasn't mad. Neville was shocked. He'd never seen this alter and watching Harry cry in fear and pain, like a tortured animal made him want to sick-up.

"What's the matter?" Lockhart asked as he stood and came toward them.

Severus ignored him completely, focused only on Harry. 

Neville spun around and stared at the man who had hurt him. Lockhart had confused blue eyes and his thick golden hair was no longer wavy. He must have forgotten he was supposed to use curlers. Neville chuckled a tad bit hysterically at the thought. 

Lockhart's eyes widened and he stopped coming closer. "Should I call a nurse? Are you patients here?"

“No," Neville whispered hoarsely.

Lockhart took a sharp step back…. _a classroom in a castle, approaching a boy, anticipation_ …. He shook his head. What was that? He frowned and looked away from the disturbing boy to the man and hysterical child. The child seemed to be slowly calming. That was a good thing. Wait. Was that Severus Snape?

"I know you,” he said and stood straighter with pride, brushing off his lavender robes. "We worked together?"

Neville glanced backward, but Snape was still busy so he answered for him. "You w-worked together at H-hogwarts."

Lockhart looked back at the boy reluctantly and was surprised to see the brown-haired and brown-eyed boy crying silently. His shoulders were shaking and his hands were trembling violently as the boy wrung them in front of him. "What's the matter? Are you alright?"

Neville shook his head _… in a bathroom and the boy was backing, shaking his head with quiet tears rolling down his round cheeks, turning and spelling the door locked, coming forward as the boy shut his eyes tight and stood shaking_ …. Lockhart shook his own head and clenched a hand in his hair.

"What are you doing here?" He meant all of them, but it was that haunting child who answered.

"I-I-I… I am h-h-here to t-t-tell you someth-th-thing."

"What is it?" Lockhart snapped angrily.

Harry slowly opened his eyes. Snape was kneeling beside him and looked very worried. He tried to straighten out of the uncomfortable ball he was curled in and realized he was in a strange room and his clothes were sticking to him uncomfortably due to his now cold sweat. He felt shaky and reached unconsciously for Snape. The man grabbed him into a loose embrace as he helped him to stand.

Neville was relieved to see Snape helping Harry to his feet. He ran to him and Snape wrapped an arm around his shoulders as well. The two boys huddled against his sides and looked back at Lockhart.

"Who are you?" he asked, looking back and forth between the three. "What do you want?"

Harry moaned in fear. Lockhart had asked him that, purred it to him, before playing with him… _What do you want?_ _Do you like this? Is this what you want? You're so beautiful, Kitten, so beautiful_ … The questions, the violations all came back and he began to cry. Snape was whispering to him, telling him to be strong, to face this, to yell his denial at the one who hurt him. Snape begged him not to let Lockhart hurt him anymore.

Lockhart was also remembering… _thin pale thighs naked, a sturdy oak desk under the young soft skin, his own manicured hands running up that yielding flesh, spreading the knees, bending to lick and suck at the small hard penis, lifting his eyes to see a naked sweaty chest heaving in gasping breaths, foggy brilliant green eyes and wild black hair soft as silk, delicious moans coming from a perfect little mouth…_ He staggered backward. He was horrified and painfully aroused.

Neville knew that look and felt acid burn the back of his throat. He followed the monster's gaze to his first and only friend and felt something in him burn to life. He shook so hard Snape was having a hard time holding onto him as opened his mouth and roared, "DON'T LOOK AT HIM! YOU'RE A SICK MONSTER! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO TOUCH ME! LEAVE US ALONE!"

"Wha-" Lockhart said shakily… _pulling the robes from the chubby boy's shoulders and draping it neatly over the bathroom stall, undoing the child's pants, gently shushing the brown-haired boy as he turned him around and had him bend slightly over the bathroom sink, pulling the shirt free and slipping his hand over the boy's round, clenched bottom, smiling as he watched the boy's face in the mirror fill with pain, fear, and shame as his fingers pushed into that forbidden hole and dragged slowly back out_ … “Merlin," He groaned in revulsion, unable to deny the growing lust stirred by the memories.

"SHUT UP!" Neville screeched. Harry's wide green eyes watched in awe as Neville overcame the man who hurt them. "YOU'RE WEAK! YOU CAN'T HURT ME! YOU'RE PATHETIC AND SHOULD SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU DID!"

“Wait," Lockhart pleaded. "I don't know…"

"DON'T LIE TO ME! YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID TO US! YOU CAN'T HIDE _THAT_!" Neville gestured viciously at Lockhart's crotch were his purple robes were obviously tented.

"It's not like that,” the blond wizard said in a desperate rush.

Powerful magic began cackling in the air and Severus looked down at Neville in shock. The boy was literally growling and his eyes were wild. 

Lockhart gave a cry as he was knocked backward. He slammed into the wall and then was thrown forward. He made a weak cry of pain as he was pressed to the ground. There was a snap of a rib. Lockhart chocked out a scream.

"I HATE YOU!" Neville yelled hoarsely and fell to his knees, the magic disappearing as he sobbed.

Severus let go of Harry to crouch by Neville. He praised him in a warm voice over and over again. Harry looked down on them and turned tearful eyes to the man slowly bring himself to a sitting position. He didn't look frightening or powerful anymore. His golden hair was a mess and there was blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth. He was crying and clutching his side.

"You're weak,” he said softly, speaking his thoughts out loud. "You're a horrible, weak man."

Lockhart stared at him pitifully. Harry ignored him and went to Neville's other side. He dropped to his knees and hugged his friend tightly. When he lifted his head to look in Lockhart's eyes, he was no longer shaking with fear. He just looked tired. "You can't hurt us anymore. You're nothing."

“Nothing,” Neville repeated vehemently.

“Indeed," Severus drawled and pulled the boys to their feet. "You've done what you've had to. You see the truth of the man before you. Let us go and leave him forever behind."

Neville nodded and held Harry's hand firmly in his as he opened the door.

"Why don't you go to see your parents?" Severus said gently. "They would be very proud of you, Neville. I'll come get you in a few minutes."

"Thank you, sir,” Neville said quietly, never looking back, as he and Harry left.

Severus smiled darkly, a cruel glitter appearing in his eyes, as he turned to Lockhart. The man whimpered and crawled backward into a corner as Severus walked ever so slowly over to him. Lockhart screamed, but by then it was too late. Severus was already upon him. Lockhart threw up his arms to protect his face and the Potions Master drew his wand tip down the screaming man's arm in a gentle caress.

Lockhart arched back, eyes bulging, his mouth hanging open as a long, low whine of agony rose from his throat. Forever it went on and then he became aware of a deep silky voice soothing him, a hand brushing his sweaty hair off his face. He whimpered and leaned into the gentle gesture. He was exhausted and still twitched with the echoes of pain. Dumbly, he opened his eyes.

“Yes," Severus said gently. "Wake up. That's good. It's not time to dream."

"Help me,” Lockhart begged tearfully, reaching for the kindness the man was offering.

"Oh, I will,” Severus promised oh so softly as he brought his wand up to the man's temple. "I will help you suffer for your sins."

He began to chant and Lockhart felt something enter him. He screamed and scratched at himself as _something_ slid under his skin, searching. Eventually it found a place to settle deep in his head. He whimpered, feeling like his brains were being pushed into his skull to allow room for the creature inside of him. The wand left his temple and he slumped, exhausted. Sleep pulled him under.

"Yes. Now you can sleep." Severus stood with cold satisfaction burning in his dark eyes. "You will know torment equal to what you inflicted on those children."

He turned and walked out of the room. The silencing charms fell as he left the room and he could clearly hear Lockhart's terrified screams. Witches and wizards ran to the man's room, but they wouldn't be able to help him. Severus had made sure of that.

**Chapter end.**


	14. Grim Prisoner

**Grim Prisoner**

Ward 49, the Janus Thickey Ward, was for patients that were going to be at St. Mungo's for a very long time, and in some cases, like the Longbottoms, for the rest of the patient's life. Neville knew every inch of the ward, having been there many times. A kind, happy witch welcomed Neville as if he were a part of her family and introduced herself to Harry as Miriam Strout.

"It's so nice to see some of Neville's friends. He's such a sweet boy." She smiled and pat Neville on the head fondly. "Your parents are just finishing lunch. Go on in."

"Thank you,” Neville mumbled. He was too tired to speak any louder, but at least he wasn't stuttering.

Harry looked around as he followed Neville. There were several large spaces that could be curtained off by the large white sheets that hung beside each section. Maybe they shut them at night, Harry thought as he spotted a sallow-skinned, mournful-looking wizard who lay in a normal looking bed. The man was staring at the ceiling and mumbling to himself. He didn't seem to be aware of anything that was around him. There was also a woman who was growing fur everywhere like Hermione once had when she accidentally used a cat hair with her Polyjuice Potion.

Neville approached the very last curtained area. Instead of being white, these curtains had small delicate pink flowers. The boys slipped by them. Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom lay in a Queen sized bed with white sheets and matching comforter. They were propped up against soft pink pillows. A carved wooden nightstand sat on one side of the bed and a matching dresser was pushed up against the far wall. Two trays had been placed in Neville's parents' laps.

"Hey, Mum. Dad." Neville collapsed in the padded recliner chair and dropped his face in his hands.

The thin man and woman on the bed smiled vaguely and mechanically lifted their spoons to their mouths. Mr. Longbottom had already finished his meal, but he continued to lift the spoon again and again. Harry felt tears burn his eyes and fell away. Silas shook his shoulders to get them out of the submissive hunch Harry had them in and walked to Neville's side. He gripped the boy's shoulder bracingly.

"Neville, tell your parents what you've done. They will be proud." He looked into Neville's tearful eyes and gave a respectful nod. "I am. If it weren't for you, Harry would not have seen the slime-ball for what he was. I am grateful."

Neville giggled. How could Silas say 'slime-ball' so seriously? He wiped away his tears and looked at his parents. Slowly, he told them what happened. Silas interrupted now and then with drawling insults about Lockhart. Mr. Longbottom stopped eating air by the middle of the telling and watched his son with blank, empty eyes. Ms. Longbottom smiled and hummed.

"Can you talk about this?" Silas asked delicately when Neville fell silent.

The boy ducked his head, his mousy brown hair almost as messy as Harry's perpetually was. Silas moved to change the subject, but the boy began to speak softly. He explained that Bellatrix Lestrange along with several others had interrogated his parents when the Dark Lord suddenly disappeared.

She knew that the Longbottoms were very close to Dumbledore and was certain they would know where the Dark Lord had gone. They hadn’t, so she and the other Death Eaters tortured them with the Cruciatus Curse, a Dark spell that causes the victim to feel unbearable pain. They held them under for over an hour until they lost their minds.

"She is in Azkaban?" Silas asked, voice even and eyes watching the drooling Mr. Longbottom.

“Yes," Neville whispered. He stood and wiped his father's mouth gently with a napkin from the man's tray.

"Pity."

Neville looked back at Silas, unsure what he'd see. Harry's face stared back at him with a deadly seriousness and he shivered before turning back to his parents. Silas stood and went to the only window in the ward. He leaned a shoulder against the wall, his hands in his pockets (and on his wand). Neville fussed over his parents and just enjoyed his time alone with them.

Not fifteen minutes later the curtain was pulled gently aside and Severus beckoned them. Neville kissed his parents' cheeks and gave them a hug. The man and woman didn't respond exactly, but Mrs. Longbottoms' humming got a bit louder. Neville smiled and followed Silas. He pulled the curtains closed behind him.

"Why are you here?" Severus asked the alter with a raised eye-brow. Silas just stared at him. Their professor scowled, but he didn't push for answers. Instead he turned to Neville. "Would you like to go back to school? We have just over half-an-hour left here. We could go into London for lunch if you would like."

Neville almost smiled at his teacher. The usually self-assured man was obviously uncomfortable, but Neville's self-preservation gave him the strength to keep the smile inside. Snape would hurt him for it, he was sure. "I'd like to go eat, please, Professor."

"Very well,” he said and led them out of St. Mungo's and into London.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke and found himself sitting at a table in a café/diner. Snape had taken the chair against the wall, allowing him to watch the windows and door. Neville was across from him and Harry sat in-between them with his back to the window. He looked down at the menu he was holding. It offered ten different sandwiches and two soups. He glanced at his friend.

Neville's face was pale and he was tired, but there was a lightness about his shoulders that hadn't been there before. He was far from confident or happy, but there was an improvement. Harry shifted uncomfortably; he had been useless. He had blacked out three times and had hardly said anything to Lockhart.

"You were really brave,” he said. "What you said to him."

Neville looked up at him startled, his brown eyes searching for something Harry could not name. He kept his emerald gaze steady and hoped Neville could see his respect. Neville saw more than that, however, for he frowned and said, "You did it too, Harry."

“Indeed," Severus said crisply. "You both saw him for the pathetic worm he was and told him so."

Neville chuckled nervously, still unsure of his professor; "Silas called him that, as well as slime-ball."

Severus allowed himself to smile at the boy. "We are in agreement then."

Neville relaxed a bit at the gesture and smiled gratefully back. The waitress came up and asked what they'd like to order. Neville turned to her and sent his glass of water flying to the floor. The waitress cried out and Neville turned beat red as he dropped to the floor to try and help clean it up. Of course he just spread the water around further.

The waitress very firmly put him back in his chair and told him to stay. Still red, he turned to look at his teacher and friend. Snape was sneering, but there was an amused glint in his dark eyes. Harry didn't even bother trying to hide it. He burst out laughing. Eventually Neville followed suit.

**xXxXxXx**

When they returned to the school, the headmaster and Remus were still gone. They relaxed, hoping they had gotten away with disappearing without permission. Neville and Harry went back to the Tower only to be summoned by a note from Remus asking for them to come to his office. Harry was worried. He remembered very clearly the werewolf's reaction when he had found out who else would be confronting the ex-professor.

_flashback_

Harry stood in the hall outside of Remus' office with Neville. They stood there for about ten minutes or so before the door opened and Snape beckoned them in. Harry looked desperately at Neville, but the boy shook his head. Harry gulped and took a step forward just as Snape said, "These two are the ones who will be accompanying me."

Harry met Remus' eyes nervously, twisting his shirt in his hands. A look of deep pain, as if Remus had been struck, crossed the man's face. His eyes went to Neville, standing pale and silent at Harry's side, but they came back to the small brunette.

"Harry?" he asked gently. _This couldn't be true. Harry was here for some other reason,_ Remus told himself, but then the small black-haired child nodded, tears filling the green eyes that Lily had given her only son. Remus felt cold rage grip him and he turned purely gold eyes on Severus. "I am going with you."

“No," Severus said surprisingly softly. "You will keep the Headmaster away so that the boys can confront their fears."

"Please, Remus,” Harry asked in a near whisper. "I…I have t-to…do this or the d-dreams won't leave me a-alone."

Remus spun and pulled both boys into his arms in a tight, loving hug. Harry and Neville cried softy into the werewolf's neck as he rocked and soothed them. Severus stood silent in the corner, patiently. The boys pulled away after awhile and Remus smiled at them confidently. Severus made a note to himself not to underestimate the man's acting skills in the future.

"I know you two can do this,” Remus said firmly. "I'm so proud of you. Don't worry about the Headmaster. Leave him to me."

"Thank you, Remus,” Harry said and hugged him tight.

Neville blushed. "T-t-thank you."

"Go get something to eat. Dinner is starting soon." Remus ruffled their hair. The boys gave him weak smiles and left. Severus went to follow them, but the werewolf stopped him. "A moment, if you please, Severus."

The dark-eyed man turned, his blank mask firmly in place. Remus' eyes slowly went gold again and Severus had to fight a shiver of unease. _Never show weakness; I am past my childhood fear,_ he told himself firmly.

"Hurt him for me,” Remus said lowly, seriously.

Severus nodded and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

_end flashback_

Harry and Neville went down to Remus' office and were immediately swept up into a hug. He asked them how it went. They told him the basics and he never pressed further than that. He gave them proud smiles and then soon had the boys laughing as he told them about his excursion with the headmaster.

**xXxXxXx**

As far as they knew, Dumbledore never caught on to their adventure off school grounds and life went back to normal. Their classes continued and everyone was busy. Ron was spending several hours dedicated to researching law to try and help Buckbeak. Hermione was always doing school work. Neville had taken to helping her while Harry was at Quidditch practice.

Harry and Neville still continued therapy twice a week, but neither had nightmares. They had the occasional bad dream, but nothing like before. Neville was cutting a lot less frequently and had taken to going with Harry when he snuck away to eat lunch with Remus. Severus still ridiculed both Harry and Neville in his class but not as cruelly as before. He wouldn't explain why he had to maintain the evil act in class. Harry had learned to stop pressing for information.

Silas and Gabriel came Out less often, and when Harry asked them via his journal why, they answered they were just tired and catching up on some sleep. Harry hadn't bothered to ask why they even needed sleep. Rose still needed Out, however, or she'd emerge when Harry least wanted it.

He had two close calls where she had come Out in Defense Against the Dark Arts and once when he was in the dorm room getting ready for bed. Both times Neville pulled "her" away from observers and talked Rose into retreating. Harry now let her Out during every Herbology class and sometimes when he was having lunch with Neville and Remus.

**xXxXxXx**

April 14th rolled around and it was the morning of the final Quidditch match: Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. Harry and the rest of the team entered the Great Hall and, for the second time that year, most of the school was already there. Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff all erupted in loud cheers and applause when they entered. The Slytherin team hissed at them, of course, but it was obvious that their underhand Quidditch tactics had won them no friends in the other Houses.

As soon as the team finished eating, Oliver began urging them to get to the locker rooms to get ready - though they still had an hour before the match. Neville caught Harry's eye as he stood and mouthed 'good luck'. Harry smiled and nodded, flashing a thumbs-up that his friend returned with a grin. Ron pounded him on the back and shoved him after the team, yelling encouragements. Hermione was clapping and wearing as much red and gold as she possibly could. Feeling his nerves dwindle to be replaced by pure excitement, Harry made his way to the pitch.

"No wind to speak of,” Oliver remarked as he slowly examined both the sky and pitch. "Sun's a bit bright, that could impair your vision, watch out for it. Ground's fairly hard. Good, that'll give us a fast kickoff."

Oliver paced and muttered a bit more and then sent them to the locker rooms. No one spoke and Harry felt his nerves returning. Before he knew it, Oliver gave an impassioned speech, asked them to play better than ever for him in this last game of his Hogwarts career. Before Harry knew it, he was walking out onto the pitch with his Firebolt in hand. The bleachers were full to the brim and every single face was screaming and cheering. The noise was incredible, especially with no wind to dampen it.

Lee introduced both teams, though everyone knew who was who. Hooch gave the rules and the captains shook hands. After the sharp whistle, everyone shot into the air. The game exploded instantly. Alicia snagged the Quaffle only to lose it to Warrington, who immediately got slammed with a Bludger by George.

With every minute that passed, another foul was being committed. Hooch was red in the face from blowing her whistle so many times and both teams looked battered, and it was only getting more vicious. Angelina was nearly thrown from her broom when Flint slammed into her. Fred threw his beater's club at Flint, breaking his nose. Montague had grabbed Katie's head instead of the Quaffle. Bole and Derrick crashed painfully together in midair after trying to ram (and maybe even kill) Harry. Bole hit Angelina with his club, hard. George and Fred elbowed him in the face. Wood took two Bludgers in the stomach. And so on.

Throughout all this blood and mayhem, goals were being scored and Harry was fighting to keep Malfoy away from the Snitch until Gryffindor was fifty points up. It wasn't too hard. Like Cho before him, the blonde seeker wasn't looking for the Snitch himself but tailing Harry instead.

They were seventy points up when Harry went after the Snitch for real, but Malfoy grabbed the end of his broom, slowing and distracting him long enough for the elusive golden ball to disappear again. Harry retaliated by crowding Malfoy, making him lose his temper and become flustered, but then he saw that Angelina, who was moving in to score, was about to be steamrolled by the whole of the Slytherin team pelting to her in a line.

Harry broke away from Malfoy and bombed them. The Slytherin team panicked and scattered as he shot through their formation fearlessly. He slid to a halt and did a quick flip to reverse his direction before zooming back to the middle of the field. Angelina scored, uninjured, but he looked on with horror as the Snitch re-appeared closer to Malfoy than himself. The blonde had seen it!

"Go! Go! Go!" Harry begged his broom. He was gaining! He went flat to the broom handle, twirled out of the way of two Bludgers – He was at Malfoy's ankles – He was level – Harry threw himself forward, took both hands off his broom – He knocked Malfoy's arm out of the way and –

Hundreds of screams filled the air; the Quidditch Cup was Gryffindor's for the first time in eight years!

**xXxXxXx**

Neville stood in the shadows of the Gryffindor common room. Harry had won the Cup three weeks ago. The small brunette had been unbearably happy for almost a solid week and whenever Oliver saw the seeker in the halls he'd burst into tears and hug the third year, but now school demanded everyone's attention.

Exams were starting next week and Harry and Neville were both pretty sure they would fail if they didn't do some serious studying. Hermione was too busy to help them. Besides, she was irritated with Neville for no longer coming around to read over her essays and papers. Ron was no help either. He just didn't have a very long attention span.

Neville sighed. It was late, almost eleven, and they had therapy. He had Harry's dad's invisibility cloak and the Marauder's Map in his bag ready to go, but Harry was asleep curled up on the couch by the fire. The last four months had been hard. After stopping Neville from killing himself, confronting Lockhart, dealing with never-ending practices, the Quidditch Cup, trying to stay afloat in their classes, therapy, and working around/with his condition, it was no wonder Harry was dead to the world. Neville really didn't want to wake him. Maybe he could go to therapy by himself and stop by Professor Snape's classroom to tell him Harry wouldn't be coming.

"Neville?" Hermione asked as she came over.

Neville blushed, embarrassed at being caught off guard, and stuttered a hello.

"I was wondering, is Harry alright?" she asked and pinned him with a deeply worried look. "I know I've been busy and haven't really had time to spend with Ron and him, but I have noticed that he's seemed a bit… off this year. I asked Ron, but he's a bit clueless and Harry's so secretive. I was wondering if he's told you something. He's been hanging around you a lot recently."

Neville bristled. Harry had been 'hanging around him'? What did that mean? "I don't know." He shrugged and pulled on his most clueless expression. "We've just become friends. I don't think he would tell me anything important."

"That's true." Hermione sighed. "But maybe you just forgot? It could seem really small. Are you sure he didn't let slip anything? I'm worried he may be getting sick. He's so pale and he has bags under his eyes."

She was really starting to make him mad. "Harry looks a lot better now than a few months ago,” Neville told her, trying not to glare. "And I wouldn't forget something he told me that was important. He's my friend, too, Hermione."

"I know,” she tried to sooth him. “I didn’t mean…”

Movement drew their eyes. Harry was now sitting up on the couch. His hair was sleep tousled and his green eyes were particularly round with worry. Harry stood and made his way over, but he way he took small steps and held his arms made Neville's heart stop. It was Rose, and Hermione was standing right there watching like a hawk. 

_Oh no, oh no! What do I do?_ Neville thought, panicked.

He stepped in front of Hermione, blocking her view, while he met Rose halfway. He tapped his lips and she immediately stared at them. He mouthed for her to follow him. She nodded and smiled, her hand innocently reaching to hold his. Neville couldn't help it and went a hot red.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione asked, pushing out from behind Neville.

Rose smiled at her, saying nothing. Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"Nothing's wrong,” Neville said nervously, his hands sweating. He wasn't cut out for this. "We're hungry so we're going to go to the kitchen for a snack. Want us to bring you back something?"

"The kitchen?" Hermione frowned, but before she could ask anymore questions she was distracted by Crookshanks yowling from her dorm room. When she looked back, Neville and Harry were gone. She sighed tiredly. Something was going on and somehow she'd have to find time to figure it out. She glared at the spot where Harry had been. Why couldn't the boy just tell her? It would save a lot of time.

**xXxXxXx**

"What's the matter, Rose?" Neville asked gently as he led Rose through the halls towards the Potions' classroom. He had the Marauder's Map activated. Unlike Harry, he got lost way too easily.

Rose tugged on his hand so that he stopped and then put her hand on his chest. She frowned and wrung her hands in an impersonation of someone unhappy and nervous. Neville watched her do this twice more before he got it. She was empathic and had sensed his mild upset while he was talking to Hermione. She grew worried and had come Out to make sure he was alright.

"I'm fine." He shrugged and continued walking. She walked a step ahead so that she could still look back and read his lips. "Hermione was just asking a lot of things about stuff she can't know about and that I'm supposed to keep secret. She didn't find… anything… out…. though…" He trailed off and came to a stop, staring in shock at Rose. The implications slowly came clear to him.

This was the first time Rose had come Out without Harry falling back and purposely summoning her, and Harry hadn't been near or thinking about Professors Snape or Remus. Harry had been asleep. The only thing that had called Rose Out was Neville himself. He felt his cheeks heat and something tight squeeze his chest.

_'You love me?'_ he mouthed, unable to actually voice it out loud.

A bright smile crossed her face. She nodded and hugged him.

He hugged her back tightly.

**xXxXxXx**

Exam week began and their first exam was Transfiguration. Neville came out of it feeling sick and quickly excused himself. His tortoise still had a teapot spout for a tail and a china shell. It had been his best transfiguration yet, but he knew it was still a failure. Harry went to go with him, knowing the boy was going to cut to calm himself down before the next exam, but Ron stopped him.

"Just let him be,” Ron urged and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Harry knew Neville wouldn't appreciate an audience, so he nodded. "Do you think McGonagall will take off points for my turtle breathing steam?"

**xXxXxXx**

Neville eventually made it down to the Great Hall for lunch and slipped into the place Harry had saved for him. He looked less ill but still nervous. He spilt three things and his stuttering was back full-force. Hermione lectured them about things to remember the whole way to the Charm's classroom. Neville looked sick again.

"Stop it,” Harry whispered. "We know this. We studied together and I know you'll do fine."

Neville didn't answer. The test included Cheering Charms and Harry over-did his, sending Ron into laughing fits for an hour. Hermione's was perfect, but both Ron and Neville's charm was a tad too weak, only inducing a large goofy smile on their partner's face. At least the first day of testing was over and they could relax for a little bit. Maybe even get in an hour or so of cramming.

**xXxXxXx**

The next morning the four of them marched down to Hagrid's hut for their first exam in Care of Magical Creatures. It was by far the easiest. Hagrid was hardly paying attention, too preoccupied with Buckbeak's appeal the next day. He gave everyone an Outstanding. Neville, Harry, and Ron didn't mind in the least, though they did wish Hagrid wasn't upset. However, Hermione was very disappointed. She thought Hagrid should have brought in someone else to grade them, so that he could spend time with Buckbeak and give them the chance to honestly earn their grades.

After lunch, they had Potions. It didn't go well, but it could have gone worse. Neville didn't blow up his cauldron as he had during the exams the two years previous, but his potion ended up the wrong color. Harry's wouldn't thicken. Surprisingly, Ron, as well as Hermione, got his right.

Everyone went to bed early that night because they had to wake up for Astronomy at midnight. It went well. All four of them felt confident they had given the right answers. History of Magic the next morning was a different story. Dumbledore had been giving them a wealth of information about history and it was very difficult to get all the names and dates right. Still, Harry and Neville were pretty sure they hadn't failed. Herbology was next. Rose, Neville, and Hermione passed with flying colors. Ron's grade was doubtful.

The four of them went up to the Tower that night feeling exhausted. Thankfully, they only had one more day of tests left: Defense Against the Dark Arts and Divination. Neville was nervous, but Harry and Ron were relaxed. They were sure they would do well in both classes. Hermione was nowhere to be seen and the boys hoped she was getting some much needed rest.

**xXxXxXx**

The DADA exam was very surprising. It was like an obstacle course and was set up outside. They had to wade across a waist deep pool with a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way through a section of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, and last they had to climb into a large trunk with a boggart.

Ron came out of the trunk in seconds and only lost a few marks for his mistake with the hinkypunk. Neville took longer than the others, but he didn't make a mistake. He wouldn't tell Harry what the boggart at the end had turned into for him. Harry suspected it wasn't Snape anymore.

He had asked once why it hadn't turned into Lockhart at the beginning of the year and Neville had replied that he had never doubted that Snape could take Lockhart with his hands tied behind his back. Amazingly, it was Hermione to have the most difficult time. She came out of the trunk screaming about failing all her classes. Harry cast his Patronus to protect himself and was out in a few seconds like Ron.

The four trudged back to the castle. The boys were trying not to laugh at Hermione's fear, and Hermione was fussing about losing points at the end because of her mistake. They all fell silent, however, when they got to the castle and found the Minister standing on the top step mopping his brow with a handkerchief.

"Hello there, Harry! Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?" The man smiled brightly, reaching to shake Harry's hand.

“Yes," Harry answered, shaking the man’s hand once and then quickly pulling his hand back. Neville, Hermione, and Ron had stopped a few feet short of him, but when Harry looked back begging for help, Neville stepped forward. Harry smiled gratefully.

"Lovely day,” Fudge said and shook his head with exaggerated sigh. "Pity I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Black situation, I was asked to step in."

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron asked, finally stepping up to Harry's other side.

Fudge frowned in confusion. "No."

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" Ron said, flushed. "The hippogriff might get off!"

Two men came out of the castle and stopped when they came to Fudge. Harry instinctively edged back away from them. One of the men looked so old it was as if he were rotting before their eyes. The other was very cold and was fingering a gleaming axe, his meaty hand almost caressing it.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry, Neville, and Ron were sitting below the ladder to the Divination room. They were the last to be called in to take their exam. Trelawney was having them take it one at a time. Neville went first and when he came back down, Ron asked him what it was like.

"She says the crystal ball's told her that if I tell you, I'll have a horrible accident,” Neville said nervously. "Good luck."

“Thanks," Ron said scornfully and went up for his turn. When he came back down, it was Harry's turn to ask how it went. "Rubbish. Couldn't see a thing, so I made some stuff up. Don't think she was convinced though."

Harry grimaced as Trelawney called him. "Meet you two in the common room."

The tower room was hotter than ever before and the sickly scent made Harry cough as he stumbled through the clutter of chairs and tables. The professor sat waiting for him before a large crystal ball.

"Good day, my dear,” she said softly and slowly gestured to the ball. "Take your time, now… then tell me what you see within it..."

Just like all the times before, Harry couldn't see anything. The heat was overpowering and his head was hurting from the perfumed smoke thick in the air. He decided it might be best just to pretend to see something. He didn't want to fail. He thought of the future and Buckbeak came to mind.

"A hippogriff,” he said and made his voice sound distant.

"My boy, you may well be seeing the outcome of poor Hagrid's trouble with the Ministry of Magic! Look closer! Does it have its head?"

“Yes," Harry answered, unwilling to pretend to see the hippogriff dead.

Professor Trelawney sighed. "Well, dear, I think we'll leave it there… A little disappointing… but I'm sure you did your best."

Relieved, Harry got up and began to leave. He froze however and spun around when a strangely deep voice began to speak rhythmically from behind him. Professor Trelawney was sitting in her chair, her whole body stiff, and her eyes had rolled back into her head so they showed only white.

"THE DARK LORD LIES ALONE AND FRIENDLESS, ABANDONED BY HIS FOLLOWERS. HIS SERVANT HAS BEEN CHAINED THESE TWELVE YEARS. TONIGHT, BEFORE MIDNIGHT… THE SERVANT WILL BREAK FREE AND SET OUT TO REJOIN HIS MASTER. THE DARK LORD WILL RISE AGAIN WITH HIS SERVANT'S AID, GREAT AND MORE TERRIBLE THAN EVER HE WAS. TONIGHT… BEFORE MIDNIGHT… THE SERVANT… WILL SET OUT… TO REJOIN… HIS MASTER."

**xXxXxXx**

Harry ran all the way to Gryffindor Tower. He dashed past the security trolls and easily dodged the clubs they sent flying his way. The common room was practically empty when he arrived, panting hard. Only his three friends were still there and they were obviously waiting for him. He rushed over to tell them what Professor Trelawney had said, but Ron spoke before he could.

"Buckbeak lost,” he said weakly and Hermione began to cry. "Hagrid sent a note saying he'll be executed at sunset and not to come down."

"But we have to,” Hermione sniffed. "Hagrid can't just sit there on his own!"

"Sunset, though,” Ron said mournfully, looking out the window. "We'd never be allowed. Especially not Harry."

Hermione opened her mouth, but Harry cut her off. "No, Hermione. Ron's right. If I go, no one will be allowed. Go without me. Someone has to be there for Hagrid."

"Are you sure, Harry?" she asked as she wiped at her face.

He gave them an encouraging smile. "Yeah."

"We'll go after dinner,” Ron decided. "Come on."

They all stood and made their way to the Great Hall. Neville hung back and grabbed Harry's arm. "What are you planning, Gabriel?" he whispered.

Gabriel smiled. "You'll see."

**xXxXxXx**

"I can't believe I'm doing this,” Neville complained as he and Gabriel snuck out of Hogwarts under the invisibility cloak. They could see Ron and Hermione going in Hagrid's Hut.

"It's for a good cause." Gabriel bumped his shoulder encouragingly. "It'll be fun."

Neville doubted that, but he didn't complain again. He followed his friend up into the forest. They snuck up to the back of Hagrid's hut. Buckbeak was tied up there amid huge pumpkins and within sight of anyone walking up to the front door.

"Now what?" Neville asked in a soft whisper.

"We wait,” Gabriel answered easily, hunching down where he stood. "We can't take Buckbeak until those vultures from the Ministry see him. They'd blame Hagrid for setting him free, otherwise."

"How are we going to get him to come with us?" Neville fretted.

"Calm down." Gabriel gave him a reassuring grin. "He let me ride him. I'm sure he'll follow me into the forest."

"How far into the forest?" Neville demanded fearfully.

"Shhh. Here they come."

Ron and Hermione were pushed out the back door and they could clearly hear the half-giant ordering them back to the castle. The two Gryffindors went around the house and waited for Dumbledore, Fudge, and the two other men to go inside before darting back up the path to the castle. Gabriel leapt out from the forest and went to Buckbeak. He bowed, eyes unblinking. Buckbeak bowed back and Gabriel quickly untied his rope and began tugging him into the forest, but the hippogriff wouldn't go. He kept looking back at the hut longingly. He wanted Hagrid.

Any minute they were going to be discovered. Gabriel began to curse under his breath, but he was very careful not to insult the hippogriff. Neville came darting out and snagged a dead weasel from a nearby rack. Trembling, he offered it to Buckbeak. The hippogriff hesitated and then took a step forward, reaching. They had just gotten the creature out of sight when the back door opened.

Gabriel laughed quietly as he led the hippogriff and an amazed Neville along the forest line back toward the school. Neville couldn't believe he had done that. Suddenly, Gabriel froze. Neville stopped, too. He looked in the direction his friend was staring and saw Ron darting across the lawn toward the Whomping Willow, chasing what looked like Crookshanks. Hermione was chasing Ron and yelling something at him.

"Get away from him – get away – Scabbers, come here!" Ron's yells could just barely be made out. 

Gabriel turned and made a face of curiosity at Neville, but his attention went back to the scene when Ron dove to the ground, missing Crookshanks by a foot.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat!"

Hermione ran to help the redhead when a huge Grim leapt out from the Whomping Willow and grabbed a hold of Ron's arm. Ron screamed in pain and Hermione screamed in fear. Silas rushed Out before Gabriel could run off and put them in danger. He knew he wouldn't be able to hold sway long and thrust the hippogriff's rope into Neville's hands.

"Tie Buckbeak out of sight, then run back to the castle and get help. Hurry, Neville!"

Neville opened his mouth to protest, but Gabriel had finally overpowered the Slytherin and was running recklessly down to save the other two Gryffindors. The boy hero cast a weak Lumos as he ran onto the scene. Ron was being dragged into the hollow of the tree. Hermione went to grab the redhead, but she was thrown five feet into the air by a thrashing tree limb. Gabriel yelled for her to stay back and tried to get to Ron, using all of his agility and speed. He managed to avoid being hit, but he couldn’t work himself closer to the downed Gryffindor.

Ron had hooked his legs around a root to give them time to get to him, but it wasn't a very good idea. There was a loud, sickening crack and he howled with pain. In seconds, he was gone. Gabriel lunged for the hole, but he had to jump back to avoid being brained by a swinging branch. Just when he was about to start throwing hexes around, Crookshanks slipped through the violent tree-limbs and stepped on a root. The tree froze.

"Show off,” Gabriel muttered and dove into the tree's hollow. Hermione was right behind him.

**xXxXxXx**

They found themselves in the Shrieking Shack some minutes later. Hermione was clutching at his arm so hard that he couldn't feel his fingers. He gently pried her hand off and gestured to the stairs. Her face was pale and her eyes were dark with fear, but she nodded firmly and they moved silently toward them.

Only one door was open upstairs. Wand held tightly before him, Gabriel kicked the door wide and took in the room. There was a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings. Crookshanks sat in the middle looking pleased and purring loudly. Ron was on the floor, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle. It was definitely broken. Hermione dashed to him.

"Ron! Are you okay?"

"It's a trap,” the redhead moaned in pain.

"What?" Hermione asked, holding onto her friend and looking around wildly.

Gabriel was a step ahead of her and yelled, "Reducto!"

The door blew off its hinges and slammed into the wall. Or it would have if someone wasn't standing behind it. There was a smashing sound and a whine of pain. Gabriel rolled into the room, coming up facing the doorway and the enemy just as the door fell flat to the floor with a bang. He hesitated when he got a clear look at who had been hiding behind it.

A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to the man's elbows. If eyes hadn't been shinning out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were barred in a grimace of pain and he rocked back and forth, clutching his shoulder as he whimpered.

"Who are you?" Gabriel demanded, wand still level.

"It's Sirius Black!" Hermione gasped and clutched Ron tighter.

"Expelliarmus!" Black choked out, suddenly pointing Ron's wand at them.

"Tectussitum!" Gabriel said quickly. Hermione cried out as she lost her wand, but he kept his as his shield blocked the curse and broke apart in a pretty flash of sparkling light. "Expelliarmus!"

Black was slammed backward and he lost the two wands he had collected. There was a muffled pop and the man sighed in relief. The door must have dislocated his shoulder, but it was now back in place. Gabriel gracefully caught his friends' wands and ordered the man to his knees. Black laughed and hugged himself. Gabriel frowned, reminded of Boy.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend,” Black said with a voice rough from disuse. Seemingly forgetting he was being held at wand-point while he himself was helpless. "Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run to a teacher. I'm grateful… It will make everything much easier…"

"Get on your knees,” Gabriel repeated, wand-tip glowing in warning. "You can be bound physically or I can do it with magic."

“No," Black hissed, eyes glittering madly at Ron. "I've waited too long… to kill the traitor… to kill the one I went to Azkaban for…" Black suddenly looked straight at Gabriel, expression now childlike. "Are you going to kill me?"

Gabriel didn't know what was going on, but Black was a threat. Ron needed treatment. He opened his mouth, but he froze when Remus came hurtling into the room screaming the disarming spell. Gabriel lost all three wands and staggered backward under the force of the spell. Okay. Things just got really confusing. He backed off and Silas came Out, his eyes narrowed in icy fury.

“Professor," he said in a cold, dangerous voice. "What are you doing?"

**Chapter end.**


	15. Raging Storm

**Raging Storm**

Remus flinched at Silas' tone, but he had eyes only for the man standing bruised, battered, and wretched against the wall. He lifted a crumpled paper in his clenched hand. "What is this? What do you mean you're going to kill him, Sirius?" His face was pale and his eyes were full of pain. Black just stared at him. Slowly, horror filled the werewolf's face. "Unless… unless he was the one… unless you switched… without telling me?"

Very slowly, Black's sunken gaze never leaving Remus' face, he nodded. Remus gave a choked cry and rushed forward, grabbing Black into a desperate hug. Black returned it and seemed to shrink in the man's embrace, looking more like a broken child than a madman. Silas sneered and raised his hand, carefully focusing. Hermione started yelling hysterically about werewolves, but he tuned her out.

When he felt he had enough magic carefully balanced in his palm, he slashed down yelling, "Accio wands!"

There was the sound of cloth tearing violently and Remus staggered as he was yanked toward Silas by the wand that suddenly flew from his hand. Silas quickly separated Harry's and their wand from the other three and pointed it at the two men in the corner. Hermione stopped her rant about Remus helping Black all along to stare in awe at her friend. Ron was pale and his blue eyes were wide with fear as he stared at the man who had once been his favorite teacher.

"Wait, S-Harry!" Remus quickly corrected himself. He stood in front of the crying Black protectively. "I can explain. Don't you want to know the truth? You have the upper hand. You're in no danger. Just listen."

“Quickly," Silas hissed. "You have five seconds."

"I found a note on my desk. It was in Sirius' handwriting. It said, 'Moony, I'm going to kill the traitor tonight in the Shack.' I came here as fast as I could to capture him, but on the way I thought about what the message meant. It meant he was saying he wasn't the one to betray us to the Dark Lord."

"What's that to me?" Silas drawled, impatient.

"It means he isn't the one who got your parent's killed,” Remus said gently.

"If he's not Dark, then how did he escape Azkaban?" Hermione demanded.

"As you saw, he’s an Animagus. James, Peter, and Sirius all became Animagi to be with me during the full moon. It was very illegal. James was a stag. Peter, a rat. Sirius, a dog that looks like a Grim. I tried to tell you before, Harry, but I am under a spell that doesn't allow me to talk about their other forms to people who don't already know. That's why I didn't tell you the second I saw your Patronus, Harry. And why I didn't tell Dumbledore even though I knew that's how Sirius was likely getting into Hogwarts. And I suspect that's how he escaped Azkaban, am I right?" Remus asked turning to look at the now calm ex-prisoner.

"I don't know how I did it,” Sirius croaked. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me… but it kept me sane and knowing who I am… helped me keep my powers… so when it all become… too much… I could transform in my cell… become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know…” He swallowed hard, eyes becoming glittery with madness again. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions… They could tell that my feelings were less – less human, less complex when I was a dog… but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand…"

"Sirius…" Remus wrapped the man in a one-armed embrace, tears falling from his eyes.

Sirius reached a hand into his ragged, filthy clothes. He seemed to grow stronger and more stable as he brought out a worn piece of paper. Remus took it and Silas could just make out that it was the picture from the _Daily Prophet_ of Ron and his family in Egypt over the summer.

"I got this from Fudge,” Sirius explained. His eyes filled with a determined hate. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me this paper and there was Peter, on the front page… on this boy's shoulder… I knew him at once… how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts… to where Harry was…"

"My God." Remus turned to stare at Ron. "His front paw…They only found a finger…"

Sirius continued as if he couldn't hear Remus. "He'd be perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Lord was gathering strength again… ready to strike the moment he could be sure of allies… and to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort then? He'd be welcomed back with honors… I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was alive. I had to protect Harry… my godson… I won't let him kill Harry, too!"

He leapt at Ron, but Remus grabbed him and held him back. Ron was screaming to know what was going on, Hermione was yelling that it couldn't be true, and Silas finally agreed that this had something to do with him. He didn't care about Black. Or who killed their parents. Lily and James were dead. Nothing would bring them back. All that mattered was his own survival and safety. He could not allow the traitor to remain within reach. The traitor was a real threat. If Black was telling the truth and the traitor was Peter, he'd have to remove that threat. 

"Give me Scabbers,” he ordered coolly, wands pointed at Ron.

"WHAT?" the redhead bellowed.

“Now," Silas hissed threateningly.

The redhead glared. "No!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry. Scabbers can't be…" Hermione shrieked.

Silas ignored her. "Accio rat!”

Ron cried out as he lost his new-found pet. Silas snatched the squealing rat from the air and squeezed. It squeaked once more and then fell silent. Silas smirked and tossed him into the air toward Remus and Black. When the rat was halfway between them, Silas concentrated hard and yelled, " _Aperio Corpus Natura._ "

A flash of blue-white light erupted from the five wands Silas held and struck the rat. Ron and Hermione cried out while Remus and Sirius stared hungrily. Scabbers hung in midair, seemingly frozen, and then he began to grow. It was like watching a sped-up film of a growing tree; a moment later a man was hovering where Scabbers had been and he fell hard to the floor.

Peter was very short, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkept and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who had lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers' fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Silas saw his beady eyes dart to the door and back again.

"Well, hello, Peter,” Remus said pleasantly. "Long time no see."

“Scabbers," Ron moaned in denial. Hermione was silent.

Black tried to attack, but Remus still held him back. "Not yet,” he said and took a predatory step toward the traitor and smiled. "We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points."

Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes, "I heard things in Azkaban, Peter… They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them… That's why you've been pretending to be a pet all these years, isn't it?... I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information… and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways… If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter…"

"Don't know… what you're talking about…" Pettigrew said shrilly. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Remus pleadingly. "You don't believe this – this madness, Remus?"

Remus glared hotly. "I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat.”

"How could you know I'd find Scabbers and run toward the willow?" Ron demanded. "How did Black know to write you that note? He's making all this up!"

"Hagrid caught little Peter yesterday. I was going to grab him and bring him here before I killed him,” Sirius snarled, full of hate as he stared at the sniveling man. "But then you showed up and I heard… I heard you take him back… Crookshanks helped me. He's been helping me all along, brought me the passwords, kept an eye on the traitor… He scared Peter into biting you and running… I knew he'd run to the willow… I just had to wait… and then my plan could still happen… I'd still get to kill him on this day, this very day, June 6th; this day when we were ending our first year together at Hogwarts and swore to always protect each other… when we named ourselves Marauders..."

"This is greatly entertaining,” Silas drawled. "But it's late. Kill him or I will; I'm ready to leave."

"Give me a wand,” Sirius demanded, eyes hungrily watching the rat-man's every move.

Remus' eyes gleamed gold. "Hand mine over as well."

"I will never be forgiven for talking James into making you Secret-Keeper instead of me, but this will be a start." Sirius laughed gleefully and caught the wand Silas tossed to him. 

Remus caught his and they both aimed at the trembling man before them.

"Stupefy!"

Peter and Sirius both collapsed. Remus and Silas aimed their wands at the door, but before either could say a word, Snape appeared as the invisibility cloak fell to the floor. He sneered, eyes full of a terrible fury. 

"Severus!" Remus said shocked. "Wait! You don't understand!"

"Shut up, Wolf,” Snape hissed. "I heard it all."

"Then…?"

"I did not kill the mutt, did I?" he snapped. "Pettigrew must not be killed. He has information Dumbledore will need."

Remus stared at his colleague and slowly began to understand. "And Sirius will not be cleared of the murder charges without Peter's testimony."

"I care nothing for Black!" Snape snarled, his eyes gleaming fanatically.

_BANG!_

Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Pettigrew's mouth, wrists, and ankles. Another spell and the bound-man floated out the door. Without another word, Snape strode from the room after him. Remus sighed and revived Black.

Silas ignored them and calmly went after Snape as the two men tended to Ron and Hermione. He caught up to them just as they entered the tunnel back to school. Snape stood stiffly, magic crackling erratically around him due to his rage. Peter floated along before him, his head occasionally scraping along the ceiling.

Silas smirked. "Going soft, Severus?"

Snape spun around so violently that his robes almost flew up to knee height. "DO NOT SPEAK OF WHAT YOU DO NOT KNOW!"

Silas was unimpressed and merely lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. Snape opened his mouth to say something more, but stopped. Remus was coming down the passage with Hermione at his heels. Sirius was taking up the rear with Ron in his arms. Severus glared fiercely and spun back around, continuing his march back to school. Silas gave mercy, not really wanting to be stuck in the tunnel any longer than necessary, and followed him silently.

**xXxXxXx**

"Sir? What's going on?" Harry asked in confusion, standing just out of reach of the Whomping Willow.

Severus turned to look at the young teenager and ground his teeth in frustration. He was going to kill Silas. Remus and the others were climbing out of the tunnel under the willow so he spoke quickly, "We've found out Pettigrew betrayed the Potters, faked his death, set-up the filthy-mutt Black, and has been pretending to be Weasley's pet all these years."

"Harry?" a coarse, deep voice called.

Shocked, Harry turned to see a scarecrow-thin, filthy wild-man walking toward him. Ron was being floated along behind Remus. Hermione was hovering at the professor's side worriedly. Snape was already walking away.

"Well…" the convict spoke nervously. "Moony explained that with Peter caught I'm free… and, well, I am your godfather… I'll understand of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle… But… well… think about it. Once my name's cleared… if you wanted a… a different home…"

Harry had no idea what was going on. He was standing outside, it was dark, his friend was hurt and Hermione was frantic, Snape had a supposed dead-man as a prisoner, and _Sirius Black_ was offering him a place to stay besides the Dursley's. His summer placement hadn't come up yet with Snape. He'd been too nervous to ask where he would be going, but he'd take _anything_ else to escape Privet Drive.

"If I'm not… going anywhere else…" he said hesitantly. "I'd like that."

"You mean it? You want to?" Black said with childish delight. The brightest smile Harry had ever seen spread on Black's face and most of Harry's doubts faded away. Black may look scary, but he seemed alright.

He smiled back. "Yeah."

Black moved forward to hug him, but before Harry could decide whether to let him or not there was an ear-piercing scream. Snape spun back around and sprinted toward them. Ron scrambled backward, Hermione dragging him with a startled cry. Black pushed Harry away and began to transform into a huge black dog.

There was a terrible snarling noise. Remus' head was lengthening, so was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks' hair was standing on end and he was backing away. As the werewolf reared, snapping his long jaws, Black leapt. The dog seized the werewolf by the neck and pulled it backward, away from the third years and began dragging it toward the forest. The werewolf snarled and lashed out, flinging the dog away and into a tree. Sirius yelped and lay still.

"He must not have taken the potion tonight!" Snape barked out. "He's not safe! Run!"

"Ron can't!" Gabriel shouted as he took up position in front of the downed Gryffindors. 

Snape snarled and leveled his wand at the redhead to levitate him. 

"Look out!"

Snape spun, but he was too late. Gabriel didn't have a clear shot and could do nothing as the werewolf slammed his mighty clawed hand against his teacher's head and sent him flying. Snape crumpled unconscious ten feet away, and Gabriel could see red blood glistening in the moonlight, seeping from the man's nose and mouth. Pettigrew was released from Snape's spells that had bound him. As soon as he saw the werewolf, he transformed.

"Fuck!" Gabriel cursed, but he couldn't leave his post in front the helpless Ron and Hermione. "Black! The rat's getting away!"

The black dog was on his feet and was shaking his head hard. At hearing Gabriel's shout, he growled and launched himself in the direction Pettigrew had gone. Gabriel held his position, his stance unyielding and his wand steady. He knew this was Remus. He couldn't kill the creature. Alright, so he'd just send a message. The werewolf howled and jumped at Gabriel and the others. Hermione screamed.

"Reducto!"

The werewolf was flung away with a high yelp of pain. It scrambled back up and darted into the forest with its tail between its legs. He grinned in triumph and turned to Hermione and Ron. The redhead had fainted, from pain or fear Gabriel didn't know. He crouched in front of Hermione. The girl's eyes were wide and she was hyperventilating.

"We'd better get him up to the castle. Come on,” Gabriel said, pushing her hair out of her eyes. 

A yelping noise split the air, a whining. Black! And he was definitely in pain. Gabriel couldn't let anyone get hurt, couldn't leave anyone behind.

"Stay with Ron,” he ordered her, glaring into her eyes to make sure she understood. "Check on Snape."

The yelping seemed to be coming from the ground near the edge of the lake. Gabriel sprinted toward it. He was so intent on saving Black that he felt the cold without realizing what it meant, and by the time he did, it as far too late. He had run right into the middle of a ring of dementors. 

Black was crouched on all fours, his head in his hands. "Nooo," he moaned pitifully. "Noooo…. please…"

"Transform!" Gabriel ordered, coming to stand behind him. He lifted his wand and yelled, _"Expecto Patronum!"_

The silver stag leapt from the wand and charged the dementors coming from the right. It forced a handful back, but the other dementors kept coming, closing the gap as they glided forward. The cold was in Gabriel's bones now. His teeth were chattering. Black gave a shudder, rolled over, and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.

_"Expecto Patronum!"_ he screamed again. A few more were driven back. It hardly made a difference. "Fuck."

Silas shoved Gabriel back In and took his place. The terror was building to almost unbearable levels. Boy was screeching, fighting to get Out. He only had seconds. _"Tectum repercutio,_ ” he said hoarsely, and right before he fell away, he managed to call out, "Demon!"

Harry crumpled forward, his green eyes open but empty of life. Deep inside, his mind was beginning to crumble. His alters were screaming, writhing in agony. Only one was silent. 

Demon lay silent and still, and as the screams reached him, as the pain of his others woke him, his bloodless lips began to smile. Long, liquid shadow-hair began to dance and move like snakes around his head as he slowly sat up. Eyes of fire opened, and with a deafening bang, his cold stone door was slammed open.

Demon stood, his hands clenched into fists as his eyes blazed with inhuman rage. With a scream of fury, he lashed out, his hand striking the air in a vicious slap. A section of dementors in front of him were pressed to the ground, wailing in pain. The others came to their aid and converged on Demon.

Snarling, Demon turned and bared his teeth with burning eyes. The closest dementors went silent, seemed to swell and undulate before literally exploding. The sound of sickly, rotten flesh tearing filled the air. Demon screamed, black magic streaking from him like anti-lightening. The still-pinned dementors thrashed, high-pitched keening shaking the sky. Trees cracked in half, sounding like giant gunshots in a vicious war. The lake churned and bubbled; pain-filled cries and screams rose from its depth as the water boiled.

Demon raked his hands over the air, as if clawing at it, trying to pull it apart. The downed dementors arched as their black robes were violently torn away and their flesh lacerated. Moon-white, alien bodies were exposed. Stick-thin limbs looked grotesque when paired with their firm rounded bellies. Their heads were elongated skulls with huge gaping mouths that sucked futility at the air. Black ichor-like blood sprayed the night as Demon lashed out at them; each step he took closer inflicted more wounds.

It wasn't enough. He was Rage and Hate; everything needed to suffer! Nothing should be whole! It all needed to die! 

Demon screamed again and dropped to a single knee, slamming his fist into the ground. The earth shook. It broke apart with a deep implosion that could hardly be heard. Jagged cracks opened up in the earth with a deafening noise like rolling thunder. The dementors fell; their horrible shrieks snapped off ominously.

The world fell into a trembling silence, the terrible noise ending as abruptly as it had begun. It didn't last long. With a deep rumble, the lake retreated from its bank; a great wave gathering in its center, a deadly typhoon. Louder than the ocean, the waters flowed back and exposed the lake's bank.

Heat-lightening slashed red and purple through the dry, dark sky. Thunder answered in a growl that sent a consistent tremble through the ground. Lightning struck and left scorched craters. Fires exploded into the sky as the forest began to burn. Each became an instrument in a Hellish symphony.

On his knees, nails drawing blood from his fists, he raised them to the sky, and roared in answer, adding his own voice and fury to match the elements at their worst. Power, dark and hungry, poured from him; pure rage made into physical chaos, pure destruction. He'd raze the world!

Without warning, Demon crumpled. Harry's body looked suddenly fragile and small as he lay unmoving. Amazingly, Sirius Black lay unharmed in a circle of burnt grass and cracked earth not fifteen feet away from his godson. The repelling shield had held and amplified the Dark magic as it bounced back. Nothing would grow in that spot for many years.

The forest's violent thrashing slowly stilled and the gathered wave collapsed with a loud crash, releasing its still-hot water. Severus appeared just in time to levitate both Harry and Black out of the way of the flood. He was shaken and pale, dried blood still crusted on his face.

He had guessed Demon was a horror from his name and Silas saying they never woke him, but beholding the wrath and utter destruction behind the alter was terrifying. Severus had thought he was past ever feeling that emotion, hardened by all the many horrible things he had witness and experienced in his life.

He, Hermione, and Ron had been well out of reach of Demon's rampage, and thank Merlin for that or they'd be dead, but even from that small distance the noise as the earth tore itself apart, the torture and murder of the Darkest creatures in existence, the wailing pain of life itself had reached them.

Ron had been lucky and remained unconscious through it all. Hermione had screamed and screamed, sobbing hysterically in her utter mindless terror before she finally fainted dead away. Severus had fared no better. He had cowered, lying on his belly and clutching desperately to the shaking earth, just barely biting back whimpers of fear as everything that was supposed to be solid and unchanging shattered around him.

Nothing was safe. Everything was chaos and death. The very ground could not be trusted to lie under his feet and hold him up. The sky couldn't be trusted to remain steadily above him providing direction and light. His absolutes were no longer absolute. He was a small frightened child, desperately needing protection against the anger of a world so much bigger and stronger than him.

He didn't think about Black, didn't even hesitate to save the man. All he knew was that he had to get away from the horror and bring as many people with him. Humanity seemed so precious and fragile now. He couldn't leave anyone behind; there was strength in numbers. So with four unconscious bodies trailing after him, Severus raced desperately toward the castle and the safety it promised.

**xXxXxXx**

The whole school was in panic. Demon's rampage had been felt even there. The earthquake sent paintings falling from the walls, mirrors shattered, furniture toppled, and the towers swayed. McGonagall had hurried to Gryffindor Tower as fast as she could; the other Heads of Houses had done the same for their own students. Many were injured.

"Professor!" Dean cried. "Something's wrong with Neville!"

"Bring him and he will floo with the others to the infirmary,” she said sternly, helping a first year girl who had a gash on her head from a falling dresser drawer. "You will be alright, child, stop screaming so. Madam Pomfrey will set you good as new."

"He can't move!" Dean answered. "He's had a fit!"

"Percy, see to the injured,” McGonagall ordered before making her way to the third-year boys' dorm. There she found Neville staring unresponsively, curled into a ball on his bed. McGonagall scolded him and grabbed his arm to pull him into a sitting position. She gasped. The boy's skin was like ice. He was in shock. "Did anything fall on him?" she demanded. "Do you cast any spells to try and revive him?"

The boys shook their heads, obviously shaken by everything. Her lips thinned and she impatiently brushed a strand of gray hair from her face. With a flick of her wand, she levitated Neville who was still curled up. She turned to leave the room, but Seamus stopped her. 

"Professor, we can't find Ron or Harry anywhere."

Her lips thinned still more until her mouth was a sharp line in her face. "When was the last time you've seen them?"

“Dinner," Dean murmured.

"I will find him. Do not go looking yourselves. No one is allowed to leave the Tower unless it is via floo to the Hospital Wing. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma’am," the two boys answered as she strode from the room.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville felt cold and disconnected. It was as if the very thing attaching his soul to his body had been ripped away. Everything was uncertain and unsteady. The pain eventually faded and he found himself fighting against an overwhelming feeling of being lost. Slowly, he recognized he was in the infirmary. Two blankets were wrapped securely around him and they were giving off a soothing heat. Other students were lying unconscious or sniffling or just silently staring around them. Pomfrey was running to and fro tending to everyone.

"Where is he? We need his help,” Neville heard McGonagall mutter.

The elderly witch was standing not ten feet from him, right outside the door to Pomfrey's office. Dumbledore stood with her. Neville felt his heart rate pick up when he got a good look at the headmaster. He looked older than ever before. There was even a trembling in his hands and beard.

"I don't know, Minerva. We can only wait,” Dumbledore said tiredly.

"Sinistra is seeing to his House?" McGonagall asked sharply.

"She is. They suffered no injuries, but they were quite distraught. The shaking was worse below ground. I did the best I could."

"Of course, Albus. But what was it?"

"A magic storm,” he said gravely. "Like none I've ever seen before or hope to see again."

"Is there still no sign of the missing children?" McGonagall looked very worried at this.

"I'm afraid not." Dumbledore looked over the filled infirmary. "I can only hope Severus is with them."

"Lupin?"

"He is not in his place."

McGonagall gasped in horror. "To be trapped in that storm with…"

Before she could finish, the infirmary doors slammed open and Professor Snape took a tentative step inside. Dumbledore and McGonagall rushed over to him. Neville wished to do the same. He was desperate to know if Harry was alright, but he couldn't untangle himself from the blankets.

He had to settle for watching with chattering teeth as his once most-feared teacher spoke low and urgently to the others. Dumbledore said not a word and neither did McGonagall as the headmaster herded Snape back out of the room. Neville gritted his teeth and struggled harder against the bedding. He had to get to Harry.

**xXxXxXx**

Dumbledore quickly guided Severus to a room not far from the infirmary. McGonagall quickly transfigured hospital beds from the furniture in the room and the four unconscious victims were laid gently on them. Severus protested the fifth bed, but Dumbledore insisted that he sit. Severus finally did as he was told and bent forward with his hands on his face, his long hair further hiding him from view.

"What happened to them, Severus?" Dumbledore asked gently.

"Is that Black?" McGonagall demanded, preparing to cast binding charms. "Should we call the Minister?"

"Let us wait to hear what Severus has to say,” Dumbledore cautioned. "Well, my boy?"

Severus took a deep breath, gathering his composure. His head came up and he wore his expressionless mask again. He calmly explained that Neville Longbottom had come to him stuttering about the Whomping Willow attacking Ron and that Harry and Hermione had gone after him. He sent the pathetic Gryffindor back to the Tower and hurried to the willow, knowing that it guarded the passage to the Shack and that Lupin had need of it tonight.

"When I arrived, I found them all upstairs,” Severus continued. "I hid in the shadows to understand the situation before acting, and I overheard Black explaining to the Troublesome Trio and the Wolf that he was not the Potter's Secret-Keeper. That he switched with Pettigrew at the last minute believing that the Dark Lord would suspect Pettigrew less."

McGonagall’s hand lifted to her mouth as she stared in horror at the filthy man lying limp on the transfigured bed. "Dear Merlin."

"Black went to confront Pettigrew after the attack. Pettigrew yelled out to the crowd that Black had murdered the Potter's and then cut off his own finger before causing an explosion. He transformed into his illegal Animagus form and disappeared, allowing the Aurors he had summoned to arrive and arrest Black."

"Animagus?" McGonagall snapped. "Impossible!"

"Potter, Black, and Pettigrew all mastered the Animagus transformation so that they could be with Lupin during the full moon. Lupin, not knowing Black was innocent, had wanted to tell us that he was getting into the castle by transforming into a large dog, but he couldn't due to the oath of silence he swore them. He cannot speak of their transformations unless the one he is speaking to already knows."

Dumbledore looked down at Sirius with a twinkle in his eye. "And you have proof Sirius was speaking the truth?"

"I've seen Pettigrew myself. He’d been posing as a pet all these years. He was Weasley's rat and is missing a finger just as Black claims. The very one he cut off himself before staging his death in front of Black."

"Where is he now?" McGonagall whispered, looking like she might faint.

Severus sighed. "I had him bound and was bringing him to the castle. With all that I had overheard and seeing Black… I forgot about the moon. Lupin followed us, equally distracted. He transformed. I was attacked and knocked unconscious. Pettigrew escaped. When I regained consciousness, Granger was floating an unconscious Weasley over to my side. She was frantic, saying Potter had run off thinking Black was being hurt by the werewolf. I ordered Granger to return quickly to the castle with Weasley, but before she could, the storm hit."

"Was there any forewarning? Which direction did it come from?" Dumbledore asked intensely, eyes boring into Severus'.

“None," Severus answered, eyes steady and Occluding his mind. He was unsure if Dumbledore should be made aware of Harry's condition yet and it was always better to withhold information than to give it up and regret it later. If it came down to it, Severus could explain the boy's condition at another time. "I believe it came over the forest, hit the lake, and continued on to the castle."

"Headmaster, Longbottom has informed me there are more patients I must tend to?" Pomfrey asked as she stepped into the room, a shaking Neville standing behind her. "Goodness!" The med-witch got a good look into the room and hurried over.

"It is good you are here, Neville." Dumbledore smiled and gestured the boy closer. "Why is it that you and your fellow Housemates were outside so late at night?"

Neville looked fearfully to Snape, but the man was giving no clues. He swallowed hard. McGonagall snapped that he answer the headmaster, and Neville about fainted with indecision. He was having a hard enough time of thinking as it was. Pomfrey saved him. 

"That boy has suffered a severe magical trauma. Leave him to rest and ask your questions later." She glared at them. "I have patients to tend to, and I will ask you to leave if you continue disrupt my work."

"Neville, come have a seat,” Dumbledore said kindly. "We are just worn thin due to this unexpected event. We are not angry and your friends are not in trouble. Tell us what happened, hmmm?"

"Ron and Hermione wanted to be there for Hagrid,” Neville spoke slowly, staring into the headmaster's twinkling eyes. "They left after dinner to go visit him. Ga-" 

Severus felt his heart clinch and with strength born of his fierce protectiveness of Harry, he forced a barrier between the headmaster's compelling spell and Neville's mind. 

"-H-h-harry," Neville finally stuttered out, turning red, "and I snuck out after them."

"To do what, my boy?" Dumbledore encouraged. "I assure you that anything you say will not get you or your friends in trouble."

"Of course not,” Severus sneered viciously, just to maintain his part.

Dumbledore gave him a sharp glance before turning back to Neville.

"W-we waited until Hagrid forced Hermione and Ron to leave and for y-you and the Disposal of D-dangerous Creatures people to go inside the hut before sneaking over and e-escaping with Buckbeak. We were walking along the forest when we saw Ron and Hermione c-chasing something. Ron was near the willow by this time and got a-attacked by a big black dog. The d-dog dragged him to the willow and pulled him inside. I was t-told to tie Buckbeak up deeper in the forest and to go get help, while H-harry ran down to help Hermione and Ron. P-professor S-snape was the first teacher I ran into. I told him e-everything and then made my way back to the Tower."

“Outrageous," McGonagall muttered, glaring at the chubby Gryffindor for the multiple rules the escapade had broken.

Dumbledore chuckled as he patted Neville on the shoulder. "That is as it may be. But the boys did it for the noble cause of saving a life, and for that we can find forgiveness, I am sure."

"Although they may have done all that work for nothing." Snape smirked. "The hippogriff may very well be dead. The forest was hardly safe, was it?"

Neville felt tears fill his eyes. Dumbledore patted him again and scolded Snape. Neville blushed. He wasn't really upset over Buckbeak. It would be horrible if the beautiful creature had died, but he had hardly been personally attached to it. No, something else was tugging on his emotions, making them fly in a hundred different directions. Pomfrey came over and cast a spell at him. He immediately felt more stable.

"What did I say? My patient needs rest! Back to bed, Mr. Longbottom, this instant!"

"I-I-I want to s-stay with Harry,” he argued nervously.

"Minerva, could you?" Dumbledore asked. 

With a great put-upon sigh, she transfigured another bed by Harry’s, and Neville climbed eagerly into it. Pomfrey tucked him in and spelled the sheets warm before coming back to the teachers. Dumbledore asked the question they all wanted answered. 

"How are they?"

"Mr. Longbottom will recover on his own in a day or so. Mr. Weasley has a broken shin and arm. I have set them and tended to the breaks as best I can. He should be able to leave by tomorrow morning. Nothing was wrong with Miss Granger besides severe stress. I've given her restorative potions and spelled her into a deep-healing sleep. She will be free in the morning as well. It is Mr. Black and Potter who have the most serious conditions."

"What is wrong with them?" Severus barked sharply. He regretted his outburst as soon as he gained McGonagall and Dumbledore's curious attention. He sneered at them. "They were in the worst of the storm. I would wish that on no one. Not even Black."

"Of course not, my boy." Dumbledore smiled, patting the annoyed man on the arm before turning his attention back to the medi-witch.

"Mr. Black has the symptoms of being nearly fatally drained by dementors. On top of this, he is severely malnourished and suffering from a severe case of suppressed pneumonia. As you know, if you suppress an illness instead of caring for it, it will only get worse. I've taken apart the magical block and he is now very sick but stable. He will need a week of bed-rest and constant care. I recommend regular doses of a cheering potion if he shows signs of depression."

"And Harry?" Dumbledore asked, eyes falling on the small teenager.

"Mr. Potter is a different story altogether. He is almost completely drained of all magical resource and has slipped into a coma. There is a chance he may never wake up, Albus. I will do the best I can."

"Thank you, Poppy." Dumbledore smiled at her. "I'm confident they are in good hands."

She harrumphed and went to check on her other patients. Severus felt his heart go cold. Harry may never wake up, and even if he did, Black's symptoms suggest that he and Harry were under attack by the dementors before Demon broke free. That was probably why the powerful alter was allowed Out. So even if Harry woke, he may not be sane.

Neville knew this as well as Snape and began sobbing, his arm bridging the gap between his bed and Harry's as he clung to his unconscious friend's hand. McGonagall was also crying but silently and with a stiff back, her face averted. Dumbledore smiled tiredly at them both. 

"Do not look so,” he recommended. "Harry will be fine. He is a strong young man and there is still hope."

No one said anything for a long moment. McGonagall was the first to speak. "What about Black?"

"He was never given a fair trial in the backlash of all that had happened. We cannot send him back to Azkaban if he is innocent,” Dumbledore decreed.

"Then what will we do? Hide him here?" Severus glared hotly, making his opinion of that course of action clear.

"Perhaps not." Dumbledore chuckled. "Hogwarts cannot afford to arouse anymore distrust with the Ministry. No. Poppy will see to it that he is recovered and then he will disappear again. Maybe Remus will take him away and spend some time with him. But before that we have more pressing matters at hand. Minerva, we will make rounds of the school. Severus, I believe you need to get some rest and see to your Slytherins. Sinistra has been caring for them in your absence."

Severus bowed his head and strode from the room, fighting for every inch when in truth he didn't want to leave Harry's side. Dumbledore and McGonagall followed him at a slower pace. Neville was left alone with not a word from any of them. His thoughts were on Harry. He had just found someone who understood him, had just found his brother.

It wasn't fair that Harry would be taken from him. Not so soon. Not like his parents. He didn't think he could handle having another loved one in the hospital, mindless as a human doll but still breathing. He whimpered and wished desperately for a razor as it became difficult to breathe.

**xXxXxXx**

A ghost stepped out of the shadowed corner. The storm had woken him and he found himself pulled to infirmary. For long minutes he watched the chaos there. He'd been surprised when Professor Snape came in looking shaken. Curious, he had followed the adults silently, none seeing him. No one ever did unless he wished it. He was shocked by the conversations that followed.

Now he stood staring at the clumsiest boy in school and the world's savior. Gently, he brushed against the first boy's mind and was appalled. Neville was in mental pain, his magical core off-kilter. Did the teachers even know what was wrong with him? Did they pay attention to the signs? But perhaps they had lost the ability to recognize an Elemental. It had been close to three hundred years since the last Elemental wizard. And a hundred more since one had been born connected to Earth. This also explained why the Gryffindor was below average at spell-casting. Neville's magic would not fit in with Latin and wand-flicks. He possessed a more specialized type of magic, both more powerful and less useful in everyday things.

Harry's mind was completely different. The ghost flinched back as terror filled his mind. He caught a glimpse of a small five-year-old boy crying in a dark cupboard before everything went pitch-black. The ghost's eyes widened. This couldn't be right; Harry was much older than five. Shivering as he delved deeper into the fear and helpless desperation, he reached a door. He pushed and had to bend down to step through.

The ghost looked around the circular room. The walls were stone, like a castle, and there was no ceiling. The carpet was white, a long luxurious black couch sat exactly in the center of the room and cream drapes hung around the room as the only decoration. He stepped over to the couch and his eyes widened. Lying there was the Harry he had seen in Hogwarts, deeply asleep. The ghost brushed the mind of this image, but he felt nothing. Harry was in a coma just as Pomfrey had said, but then what was that before? That terrified child, crying even in his sleep? Frowning, the ghost looked around and counted five doors.

This was nothing like any other mind he had touched. No one had rooms or doors. Where was the soul, the colors and pictures that symbolized who a person was? Were they guarded by the doors? Only one way to find out, he thought and faced the small wooden cupboard door he had come through.

The door directly to the left of it was huge. Hagrid would have fit through it easily. Made of thick dark gray stone with large black iron hinges and two iron bands crossing it vertically, it looked impossible to break down. And there was no opening it. The heavy black lock had no keyhole that he could see. He turned his attention instead to a normal square door to the right of the cupboard. 

It was painted white and had a round brass doorknob. The ghost turned it and looked in. The room was pretty. The carpet was white like in the sitting room and the walls were a sky blue. Directly across from the door was a twin bed with a rose patterned comforter and pink pillows to match. A little girl lay in it. The ghost stepped closer to look. Her long, thick blonde hair was beautiful, but her features were pinched in her pretty round face. Dark circles lay under her eyes. He brushed against her mind. It was dark. She was in a coma as well. He looked around the room, confident the girl wouldn't wake and catch him.

There was a white-painted table against the wall, across from the foot of the bed. It sat under a large window that let in warm golden sunlight. The plants there looked healthy and happy. Garden tools sat beside them. Against the same wall as the door, he could see a small bookcase. It had etiquette manuals and cookbooks on its shelves. A white apron hung on a silver hook next to it. On the other side were a small reading chair and an oval mirror. Shaking his head, he backed out. 

The door on the other side of the girl's was red mahogany. It was curved at the top in a half circle and had elegant carvings of snakes that were rather beautiful and not frightening at all. The door-handle was the kind that you had to squeeze and was unlocked. He swung it open. A stone fireplace stood to the far right and had a gentle fire burning in the hearth, casting its light throughout the whole room. A large black reading chair sat beside it and a silver full-length mirror on the other side. The room was carpeted in black and he couldn't tell the color of the walls due to the mahogany bookshelves and the many books filling them.

His attention turned to the large four-poster bed made from the same mahogany wood. The thick dark green bedding hid the sleeping teen from view until he was standing right next to the bed. The boy looked to be fifteen at most and he had chin length black hair and sharp narrow features. A silver stud glinted in his left ear. Like Harry and the little girl, the teen's mind was in a coma. The ghost looked down at the boy's face and felt a frown build. The boy looked like he could be Harry's older brother, their features were so similar. He thought back to the round face of the girl. Yes, she looked a bit like Harry, too, only her face was fuller instead of thinner and she was younger than Harry rather than older. Disturbed, the ghost silently pulled the mahogany door closed and went to the next.

This door was a warm, golden-colored oak. A single lion head was engraved in the center and the doorknob was pure gold. It swung open silently and he stepped inside. The floor was done in hardwood that matched the door and the walls were a pale golden yellow. A huge dueling platform stood to the right and had three dummies on it in a triangle formation. Lights blared down from the ceiling, but from no specific source the ghost could find. The far left wall was shelved and books on Defense Against the Dark Arts filled it. The four-poster bed was identical to the one in the previous room, but it had ruby red sheets. The teen in it looked more muscular than the other boy, but he was still lean. Untamable, thick, auburn hair, much like Harry's, was splayed across a red pillow. The boy looked fifteen and a lot like the previous teen but with less sharp features. He was probably the closet to Harry's appearance, but this boy's jawline was a bit stronger. Again, the teen's mind was in a coma from magic depletion.

Ghost left and looked to the scarred stone wall that separated the Gryffindor room from the locked stone door. The stone wall was gorged and scratched up. He checked for a hidden door, but there was nothing there. He frowned and turned to look out over the sitting room. He didn't get it. This was Harry's mind. How can Harry be here in his mind, and who were these other people? Siblings? But how? Why did they have rooms? Why were they in comas, too?

He looked at the cupboard door. That wasn't true. Not all of them were in a coma. The mind he had come here through was just sleeping. He went over and opened the door. It was dark as all sleeping minds were. He waited patiently and was rewarded with snippets of the dreams of the child. There was appalling flashes of pain, fear, abusive words, and yelling. He flinched away. It was too much and he carefully pulled free of the dream and out of the boy's mind.

He stood frowning over the still boy-savior. Neville was asleep, thankfully. The ghost had no idea what he had just experienced or found in Harry's head. It was almost like the sleeping mind in Harry's skull was that of a severely abused and traumatized toddler. The ghost shook his head. He didn't get it at all, but he would. He'd get answers; all he'd have to do was a bit more spying.

**Chapter end.**


	16. The Truth of Things

**The Truth of Things**

Ron was the first to wake and was very confused. He was in a room he had never seen before and yet was in a hospital bed. Was he at St. Mungo's? Hermione lay sleeping in the bed next to him and Sirius Black lay in the other. Harry was on the convict's other side and Neville was next to Harry. A fifth bed lay across from them and held a very injured Professor Lupin.

The air literally shimmered around the wounded man because of the many healing spells working on his broken body. Ron felt a bit nauseous at the sight of the open gashes and bruises he could see and quickly turned his face away. Hermione was awake and blinking sleepily at him.

“Hey," he said softly. Her eyes widened and she bolted upright. "Hey, calm down! What's wrong?"

"There was this… explosion and I thought… I was so afraid,” she whispered, her breathing becoming quick and ragged.

Ron got out of his bed and sat on her's, pulling his friend into a loose embrace. He'd never seen Hermione this upset. He suddenly wondered what he’d missed when he had passed out. The events of the night before (or what he thought was last night; it was hard to tell in this windowless room) flashed through his mind.

How could Scabbers be a person? It just wasn't possible. Everything had been staged in the Shack, it had to have been. But why would Harry be in on it? Ron frowned as he remembered his friend's behavior. Harry had never glared at him like that or spoken that way to him, let alone threatened him by wand point. Not even those horrible moods that one week could compare with the… coldness and uncaring he'd seen in Harry when Remus had come into the Shack.

"What did I miss and where are we?" he asked, trying to shake his dark thoughts.

Hermione looked around. "I don't know."

"So what did I miss? What explosion?" Ron asked again.

"I don't know,” Hermione repeated, shivering and running her hands almost desperately through her hair. "Professor Lupin transformed. Professor Snape got knocked out. Black went after Pettigrew who escaped. Harry stood in front of us and refused to budge when Professor Lupin tried to attack. He cast a spell and Professor Lupin ran away. Then Harry ran off to help Black. I levitated you over to Professor Snape who woke up and told me to take you to the Hospital Wing… and then… the ground was shaking. The sky… black and red lightening struck dozens of times… I couldn't see…. The noise, God the noise…"

"What happened after?" Ron held Hermione tighter as she began to cry.

"I don't know. I fainted and just now woke up." She wiped at her eyes and visibly pulled herself together. "What do you think all that was in the Shack?"

"Craziness." Ron shook his head hard. "I don't know what to believe. It's like a bad dream. It doesn't make sense. What if it was all staged? I mean how can Peter Pettigrew be my pet rat? Harry was acting weird and Black's just nuts! He broke my arm and leg for Merlin’s sake! And… Well, Professor Lupin's a werewolf… Can we trust that he’s telling the truth?"

"Ron." Hermione frowned. "Professor Lupin isn't untrustworthy for being a werewolf. He's just like us! … But he admitted to being school friends with Black. What if he’s really being fooled by him? Black's story was really convoluted. I mean, why would Pettigrew stick around after the Dark Lord's downfall? How did Sirius find him? And then how could Aurors just arrive like that to capture Black at the scene of the crime? Why didn't Black say something then?"

A wet cough from the very man they were talking about drew their attention. Black looked better than he had. His hair was combed and clean and there wasn't a spot of grime on his face or hands. But he was still sickly thin and pale, blue tinged his lips and eyelids, and his breathing was wet and rattling. He looked a bit flushed from fever as well, and his sleep was restless as he tossed weakly and whimpered.

"They wouldn't leave him with us if he were a danger,” Hermione conceded after a minute of study. "Maybe he is telling the truth and he’s innocent."

"I can't believe it. Pettigrew just can't be Scabbers." Ron shook his head helplessly, his blue eyes troubled. "Why didn't he show himself before now? Or do something!"

"I don't know, Ron." Hermione sighed and turned to look at Neville who was waking. "Do you know where we are?"

Neville blinked at her stupidly. He felt empty and it wasn't his magic. That felt much better. No. It was Harry. He turned to look at his friend and the numbness got decidedly cold. He'd felt this way before. It signaled a merciful break from overwhelming despair. Hermione impatiently asked where they were again and he felt his numbness fading as anger warmed his chest.

"Do you care at all that Harry is hurt?" he asked her.

She flushed. "Of course I do."

"I don't know. Should we?" Ron snapped at Neville. "He made it pretty clear last night that he didn't much care for us."

"Harry was… rude," Hermione hedged a bit. "But he protected us, Ron. Professor Lupin was coming right for us, and his eyes were glowing with such… _hunger_. Harry stood right before us and wouldn't move. He saved our lives."

"What happened?" Neville asked worriedly. He knew that if… No! _When_ … Harry woke up he had better know just how much damage Harry's alters had caused with the other Gryffindors.

Ron and Hermione shared a look before Hermione said, "I don't know how much we can say. It's really up to Harry."

Neville tensed with hurt and anger. He had never imagined they'd not tell him. He cared about Harry, too, and he was sick of Hermione treating him like he was a moron or a child to indulge. Ron was no better, acting like Harry was just pitying him. Neville was sick of being the charity case. He had to leave. He couldn't stand being near them.

"Where are you going?" Ron called out as Hermione said, "Are you allowed to leave?"

"We're in a room near the infirmary at Hogwarts,” he said tersely and left without turning around.

Hermione and Ron shared a guilty look, but they couldn't have done anything different. Not without talking to Dumbledore and Harry first. As if the thought summoned him, the headmaster walked into the room. He looked tired, but his eyes were twinkling as bright as ever. Hermione and Ron smiled in relief, and then Hermione began asking questions.

"Wait." Dumbledore chuckled and took a seat on Ron's empty bed. "Tell me all that happened and I will try to answer some of your questions."

So Hermione and Ron told what happened. Hermione got choked up again when it came to describing the storm, but she didn't cry. Ron was very grateful for that. He didn't think he could have survived hugging her while Dumbledore was smiling knowingly at him like that. He blushed bright red just thinking about it.

"Sir? Is Black really innocent?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, my dear. He really is. I've already verified it with Veritaserum. He never was given a trial. We were all so sure of his guilt, but the Marauder's had one last trick to play, I fear."

"So Scabbers is Pettigrew?" Ron asked glumly, flopping back against the pillows with a sigh.

Dumbledore smiled and patted his knee. "I'm afraid so."

"What caused that storm, Headmaster?" Hermione cut in.

"Magic storms happen periodically. They are impossible to predict or to chart, but they do happen. We just happened to get caught up in a particularly nasty one." Dumbledore turned his eyes on Harry and his face became grave. "Sadly Harry got the worst of it."

"What's wrong with him?" Ron asked worriedly.

"His magic was almost fatally depleted. He has slipped into a coma."

Hermione gasped and Ron stared in shock. They had realized their friend was ill, but fatally? And he was in a coma? After everything that had happened to and around Harry, they had come to believe he could bounce back after anything. He always came out of his battles banged up but fairly healthy.

"Will he be alright?" Hermione asked tearfully, feeling even worse for the way they had treated Neville now that she knew how serious Harry's condition was. "Do you think Harry somehow felt the coming storm and that's why he sometimes became so moody?"

"I will be looking into the cause of his unusual temper,” Dumbledore assured them. "Especially after hearing about his behavior in the Shack, but I don't believe it is serious enough to cause concern as of yet. I am confident Harry will recover from the storm. His brain functions occasionally rise to the levels of a sleeping mind and I believe he will stabilize and wake soon. You are free to stay with him for a bit longer, but the Leaving Feast will be served in a few hours. Madam Pomfrey has released you, so I expect to see you there. Remember that you can't help Harry by making yourselves sick."

"Leaving Feast?" Ron frowned.

"Alas." Dumbledore twinkled at them. "You've slept away a whole day."

"What about Harry?" Hermione pleaded with the ancient wizard. "We can't just go home and leave him here like this."

"I'm sure we can work out a visiting schedule, but I'm afraid you can't stay."

Ron sighed. "We understand."

"I knew you would. Don't worry. Harry will be fine. He always is."

Dumbledore offered them lemon drops. Both accepted and he left whistling a happy tune. Ron and Hermione moved over to the bed Neville had left and sat by their friend. They were angry with him for treating them the way he had, but that wouldn't stop them from sitting by him for as long as they could.

**xXxXxXx**

"What are you doing?" a voice called out to him.

"N-n-nothing." Neville stammered, quickly hiding the razor he had been sliding along his skin as he turned to face the girl.

The girl smiled and reached for one of the books on the shelf beside him. "That's not very productive."

Neville had come to the library thinking no one would be there since school was out. There was much better things to be doing like sitting in the spring sun or celebrating the end of exams. He felt himself blush with nerves. The girl just smiled at him. She had long, braided black hair and sparkling blue eyes. Neville guessed she was a fourth year or so. She was wearing plain school robes, but they didn't have a House patch.

"You're Neville right?" she finally spoke.

“Y-yeah," he answered weakly. His eyes looked around for an escape route. He stilled when he heard her laugh. He looked over to find her coming closer.

"Don't be afraid,” she whispered. "A friend of mine said you would need my help. I won't hurt you."

"H-help?" Neville asked confused. He took a step away from her and only pressed himself further into the alcove he had been sitting in. He was becoming quickly trapped and felt his heart begin to race. Who was this girl?

“Yes," she said, giving him a soft smile. "To be honest, I'm excited about it. It's been so long since I've taught anything and Elemental wizards are always fascinating. None ever have the same talents or skills even when they share the same affinity. It's rather fascinating."

"Don't be rude,” a boy drawled as he faded into sight next to the strange girl. "Introduce yourself before you start rubbing your hands together in joyful anticipation of dissecting him."

Neville jumped a foot and squeaked, but the girl didn't seem startled at all. The boy was solid within a minute. He looked the same age as the girl. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. His face was round and his eyes deep-set, making him look a bit like a monkey. But there was nothing at all silly or welcoming about this teen.

"You've scared him,” the girl scolded.

The boy shrugged. "What do I care?"

"What's the hurry?" she asked in a huff, crossing her arms.

He glared impatiently. "I want to know about Harry. And if it weren't for me, you wouldn't know about this Elemental."

"Fine." She flipped her braid over her shoulder and turned her attention back to the trembling boy before her. "I am Rowena and this is Salazar. It's nice to meet you Neville."

"W-w-what!" Neville jumped to his feet, but he had no where to run to. The two… ghost people… were blocking his way quite thoroughly.

"They always react like this,” Salazar drawled, sounding a lot like Malfoy. "How boring."

"Oh hush." Rowena smiled. "I think it's endearing."

"You would,” he snapped, sneering.

"It's like this, Neville,” the witch explained gently. "The four Founders of Hogwarts spelled memories of themselves into the castle. Over the years we've grown and adapted, influenced greatly by the thousands of children within our walls. Mostly we sleep and dream of the happenings within Hogwarts, only to fully waken and manifest when something great happens. And by this point, we're very much different from the Founders. We like to think of ourselves as merely named after them and are unique and original in our own right."

"We are not ghosts. We are phantoms projected by the castle. We are independent and conscious, but do hold the knowledge of the Founders we are named after. Now can we get on with this?" Salazar crossed his arms and leaned against the bookshelf behind him.

“Neville, dear, you should sit down,” Rowena said gently.

Neville stared at them stupidly and did as she said. She smiled and bent to pat his hand reassuringly. Neville started; her hand was warm and very much real. He shook his head in helpless confusion.

"Maybe we should come back later?" Rowena asked her cohort.

"I don't care what you do." Salazar straightened. "You can do whatever you want with him. He is not my concern. I just want to know about Harry."

"W-w-why?" Neville whispered fearfully.

"His mind is intriguing. I've never seen anything like it." Salazar then explained what he had seen in Harry's mind. "Do you know what it is?"

Neville nodded slowly. So Harry wasn't in a coma? Not really? Boy was still aware and was sleeping to conserve strength? Harry would be fine? He felt tears burn his eyes. "Thank you,” he told the phantom sincerely. "I was worried he would never wake."

Salazar brushed off his gratitude. "He'll be fine. The sleeping toddler is feeding the others magic slowly to restore them. But what is it? Why is his mind like that?"

"You can't tell anyone,” Neville warned, growing suddenly fierce and strong. Rowena smiled proudly and Salazar nodded impatiently. Neville sighed. "Harry has Dissociative Identity Disorder. Bad things happened and his mind broke. Instead of going insane, he fractured his mind into pieces. Those pieces are parts of Harry's personality standing independently of the original whole. They each have memories that Harry can't access while the separate personality is fractured away from the core personality. Because Harry doesn't know what happened to him in the past, he can function and survive. Does that make sense?"

Salazar was staring off to the side thoughtfully. "I think I see." 

Without a sound or warning, he disappeared. Between one eye blink and the next, the phantom was gone. Neville jumped again and Rowena laughed, making him turn a very hot red.

"Don't let him get to you. He's a rather obsessive type of guy. The mind and psychology fascinates him." She took a seat next to him. "Me, I'm more interested in studying magic than people. That's why he woke me up. Elemental wizards are a specialty of mine."

"You mentioned them before." Neville fidgeted. "What are they and why do you keep bringing them up?"

She shook her head sadly. "So much knowledge lost… Neville, I bring them up because you are one. Your affinity is with the Earth. The storm damaged a portion of the grounds here, and because you are connected to the earth, you felt the backlash. That's why you went into shock."

"W-w-what?" Neville stuttered and gaped at her like a fish.

She opened her mouth to explain further, but something caught her attention. She looked behind her and turned back to the young Gryffindor with a sigh. "Someone's coming. I'll explain everything later. Here." Neville took the slender book that suddenly appeared in her hands. "This is a brief summery of Earth-elemental wizards." And the she was gone just like Salazar.

"Longbottom." Snape demanded irritably as he approached. "Why were you not at the Feast?"

Neville fidgeted nervously, cheeks hot still. "Sorry, Professor."

"What are you doing?" Snape growled suspiciously.

"R-r-reading, Professor,” Neville lied. "I-I think I'll take it with me while I sit with Harry."

"Do remember to eat something." Snape sneered and stalked away.

Neville smiled after him. He knew that his teacher's aggravation was directed inwards for coming and checking up on him. Snape was the Slytherin Head of House. Gryffindors weren't supposed to be his concern. Neville shook his head and made his way to Harry's sick room. 

He felt bad for his teacher. He knew how much Snape cared for Harry. He knew the man was worried that Harry wouldn’t wake up or would be insane if he did. He wished he could tell him Harry would be fine, but Snape wouldn't believe him if he did. How would Neville know such a thing? And telling him that the castle had come to him in the form of two of the Founders as children would only get him sent to St. Mungo's and placed in a bed by his parents.

Neville quietly entered Harry's sick room. Professor Remus was still unconscious. Pomfrey wouldn't allow him to wake until he was almost fully healed. Black was in a drugged slumber, but his breathing was a bit clearer. Neville wished he knew why Sirius Black was being treated and sheltered. Wasn't he supposed to be after Harry?

At least Ron and Hermione had left. He climbed up on the bed next to his best friend. Harry didn't look any different than he had this morning, and Neville felt doubt rise in him. What if Salazar had lied to him? What if Harry wasn't going to be alright? He pushed away those dark thoughts and turned his attention to the book in his lap.

It had a brown leather cover and the pages inside were yellow and soft with age. Neville ran his fingers over it respectfully and opened it carefully. The words " _An Affinity for the Earth by Rowena Castle_ " sat in the middle of the page in a beautiful cursive script. Neville turned the page and began to read.

_An Elemental wizard has a magic very different than the average wizard. They are tied irrevocably to one of the six Elements of this world. Fire is the most common affinity for an Elemental wizard to possess and is followed by Air, Water, Earth, Lightning (also called Energy), and last Metal._

_Elemental magic is considered a deep power and isn't as malleable as surface magic. Because of this, everyday spells and incantations are awkward for them. Spell work outside of their element is often weak and inconsistent, but when they work within their strengths they can achieve feats not even the most powerful wizard could hope to accomplish._

_Of the affinities, Earth is the fourth rarest. There have been only a few dozen wizards recorded to have possessed this affinity. They have a wide range of potential abilities, but will only manifest two or three of these talents._

_Some Earth-elemental wizards can make plants grow healthier and at rapid speeds or even make the earth rise in front of or around them as a protective shield against both physical and magical attacks. They have been known to be able to borrow the earth's strength to lend them temporary super-human strength, and a few have the ability to sense destructive (recently labeled Dark) magic by feeling a taint residue in the earth were it was used and on the caster. More rarely they can cause earthquakes and even communicate with trees._

_To train and find their abilities, meditation is necessary. Most pupils are taken by a Master Elemental (not always with the same affinity) and trained personally by them. One-on-one teaching has proven to work best in honing an Elemental wizard's talents. Elemental magic is a deeply internal, instinctive power and distractions of any kind are a hindrance to mastering this magic._

Neville shut the book and took a deep breath. Wow. He shook his head in faint denial. No way could he be powerful. He hardly had any magic. He was barely a wizard, practically a squib. This couldn't be true. Rowena and Salazar were mistaken. He hadn’t gone into shock because the storm hurt the earth; he went into shock because he was frightened. Right?

He felt lost and confused. More than ever before he wished Harry would wake up. Harry would believe him about the Founders' phantoms and would know what to do. 

"Oh, Harry,” he whispered, grabbing the boy's hand. "Please wake up soon. I need you."

**xXxXxXx**

"Ah, Severus, my dear boy. I've been waiting for you."

Severus hesitated in the doorway to his chambers upon seeing the headmaster sitting on his couch by the fire. He entered completely and his door shut behind him. He scowled, but his heart wasn't in it. It was currently too busy beating rapidly against his breast. 

He’d been Dumbledore's man for a very long time and had suffered tortures almost beyond endurance just to win this man's good opinion. This was the man who could doom his soul as well as his life, but as well as Dumbledore knew his soul, Severus had come to know him in return. His tone and expression now did not promise good things. He braced himself for the worst: for news of Harry's death or irreparable mindlessness. He wished that Dumbledore would just spit it out, but in all the time he had known the ancient wizard, the man had never been generous with news or knowledge. He knew it would be a drawn out process, repeated painful slices and withdrawals.

"Severus?"

He shook himself and snapped, "What is it that I can do for you, Headmaster?"

"I asked if you were well, but obviously you are not. Your mind is preoccupied elsewhere." Dumbledore gestured to the seat across from him. "What is it that bothers you so?"

Severus wanted to scream for the man get it over with, but he stopped himself, shocked at his lack of self-control. Pale and trembling faintly, he sat obediently. With a bitter smile, he wondered when he was ever anything else. Despite his unpleasant manner, he had been a most obedient servant to this man for over half his life.

Again he shocked himself with his thoughts. He had never disobeyed Dumbledore and for good reason. The man was the leader of the Light. Dumbledore, better than anyone, knew of evil and how to conquer it. He had saved Severus' soul as well as his life. Severus would be nothing without Dumbledore's wisdom, mercy, and guidance. If Dumbledore required his life, he would lay it down without hesitation. What cause had he to disobey? What madness would make him want to?

"I see you keep your silence as always." Dumbledore smiled kindly. "Very well, my boy, but know you can come to me with any problem you may have."

"What brings you here, Headmaster?" Severus asked tiredly.

"Ah, of course, straight to business as always with you." The old wizard chuckled, eyes sparkling. "I have come to ask you your opinion on one Harry James Potter."

Severus sat straighter and became much more alert. "What about him?"

"Minerva and I were concerned with Harry's behavior in the beginning of November, but when he settled down after a week, we felt satisfied that it was due to the dementors affecting him during the Quidditch game and were put at ease. Before dinner, I was informed of a reemergence of this… attitude by Hermione and Ron while they were in the Shrieking Shack. This worries me and I wanted your opinion on the matter."

Severus froze. There was no room for evasive action and he wasn't sure he was ready to outright lie. Now that he was faced with letting the headmaster know of Harry's condition, he wondered why he had kept it secret for so long. Surely the headmaster would want to do everything he could to help heal the boy? Harry was his precious savior, after all. Why had Severus been so keenly against telling him?

"Why do you think I would know enough to have an opinion?" He heard himself stalling.

Dumbledore smiled, but the twinkle in his eye was sharper and not at all congenial. "I am well aware of the many detentions Harry has suffered with you. Minerva complained often enough, though has recently come to feel that they will do Harry good. It would be extraordinary if you didn't have some measure of the boy's emotional state." He sat forward and Severus felt like he was suddenly small and polluted in comparison to the man's absolute righteousness. "In fact, now that I am informed that Harry's erratic behavior has persisted, I am inclined to believe you've been giving him detentions to watch him."

"I have noticed the boy's behavior and thought it best to keep a closer eye on him,” Severus conceded, but he still felt that odd reluctance to part with information on the particulars of Harry's condition. 

However, there was no other choice now. Dumbledore would have to be informed. The old man would settle for nothing less, and maybe it would be for the best. Dumbledore may be able to obtain a better cure for Harry's coma state once he knew the details. So Severus described the condition of Dissociative Identity Disorder, previously known as Multiple Personality Disorder. It took a good half hour before the headmaster felt confident he understood the basics of the condition.

"How many alters does he possess and what type are they?" Dumbledore asked intently.

Again Severus felt hesitation. There was just something about the situation that threw him off, made him doubt. That scared him. It really did. If not Albus Dumbledore, then who could he trust?

"I am not certain how many,” he finally answered. "I haven't gained complete trust from Harry, but I am aware of two. One that goes by the name Silas and the other by Gabriel."

He gave a brief description of both. Dumbledore was nodding thoughtfully by the end. They sat in silence for many moments. Finally, the old man rose and gave Severus praise for being so attentive to Harry's behavior as to be able to diagnose his condition and to try and gather more intelligence concerning it.

"But, my boy, why didn't you come to me sooner with this?" he asked.

"I was not completely sure the boy wasn't faking it. There have been many documented cases where this was done. I had to be sure before I brought it to your attention, and then I felt I had to understand the alters before the information of his condition would be worthwhile to you,” he answered easily, though inside he was far from relaxed.

Dumbledore stood. "I must think on this."

"I believe he can be cured with therapy and by being removed from the abusive environment that created the disorder,” Severus offered as a test.

Dumbledore gazed down at him, but his mind was elsewhere. "No. Not yet. His condition may be useful, and if it protects his mind, all the better."

Severus felt his world collapsing around him as the doubts and hesitations that had seemed so unreasonable became justified. No, he prayed silently to the old man, please don't fail me, and he offered one more chance for the headmaster to redeem himself. "If the boy wakes, where will you place him?"

"He must return to his relatives,” Dumbledore answered distractedly. "I will be sending him with Poppy once the other students leave whether he had recovered or not."

Severus was floored and spoke without thought, "But, Headmaster, his condition implies he has suffered severe abuse."

"We don't know if the Dursleys are the ones that have caused the trauma that resulted in his condition." Dumbledore faced him with hard eyes, free of their distracting glitter. Severus had seen the calculating expression before, but never had it seemed so foreboding. "Harry needs to spend time in that house with his Aunt or the blood protections will not reassert themselves. The Dursleys may not appreciate magic or their nephew, but I don't feel they are unreasonably cruel people. He will be fine. Do not worry, Severus. I have things well in hand."

Severus stared at the door for a long time after the headmaster left. For long moments he sat crushed as the reality of Albus Dumbledore made itself known. It hit him that the headmaster wasn't his salvation. Dumbledore was a human man, a survivor of two vicious wars. He was just as prone to fault as others, and one of those faults could not be excused: his penchant for seeing humans as tools.

He remembered with painful clarity his own near death experiences and suffering. Remembered how the headmaster showed a face of pity and concern, but kept sending him back for more punishment regardless. Severus had let it happen, hoping it would absolve him of his mistakes. But Harry had made no such mistakes. Most importantly, unlike Severus, he had not given his consent to be used as a pawn, and yet Dumbledore did not hesitate.

How long had he known of Petunia and Vernon Dursley's utter abhorrence of the magical? Severus wondered with bleak disillusionment. 

Looking back there were startlingly unlikely circumstances that led to Harry being placed there. Sirius Black should have become Harry's guardian. Upon hearing of the Potters' deaths, he had asked for his godson, but at Dumbledore's order Hagrid refused him Harry. Grief turned to rage and he went after Pettigrew.

Dumbledore could have insisted Black have a fair trial with Veritaserum. He had interfered in the trials of many, including Severus's own. There was no reason for him not to step in on the behalf of a man who had worked very closely at his side during the war. Severus had thought Dumbledore's abandonment of Black was due to the old man's conviction that Black was guilty. Could Dumbledore have knowingly allowed an innocent man to go to Azkaban just to get him out of the way?

How likely was it that the Potters had not told him of the switch? James Potter was Dumbledore's right-hand man throughout everything. The man never acted without Dumbledore's permission first, and why hadn't Dumbledore stood as the Potter's Secret-Keeper in the first place? Exactly which family had Dumbledore chosen to safe-guard instead and why? Severus had never heard a specific family name mentioned now that he thought about it.

Even with Black gone, Lupin should have been the next in line to take custody of Harry. He was never registered as a werewolf with the Ministry. No one knew of his condition. They would have let him take the baby if he had stepped forward, but Lupin hadn't. Severus knew he had asked for Harry, but Dumbledore had talked him out of it. Why did Lupin leave his friends in the first place? He had been conveniently out of the country just prior to the Potters death and was crushed when he had learned the news. Had Dumbledore used that grief and guilt against him to make him decide against taking care of Harry? Why would the headmaster go to such lengths? The only motive for such actions would be to purposely put Harry with the Dursleys and what could that possibly achieve?

Unless… Severus grimaced. No. It couldn't be true. That was just too much to believe. Dumbledore would never do that… But Severus was beginning to think he would. If he'd let Black go to Azkaban of all places, then maybe his plans for Harry stretched before the Potter's deaths.

So where was the beginning? Severus thought, his breath coming fast as he tired to fit the pieces together… The prophecy… Dumbledore… He heard the prophecy and sent those whose children fell under the requirements away under the Fidelius Charm, but if he suspected from the start that it was Harry the prophecy spoke of…

A child born strong enough to truly defeat the Dark Lord, something not even Dumbledore could do. Not completely at any rate… That child could be a threat to him as well… It was possible Harry could be turned against him… So… Severus stood frozen as he finished the thought… So he purposely let part of the prophecy reach the Dark Lord through Pettigrew.

The weak rat would never have gone otherwise. He had never shown that kind of initiative in his life. Why would he start then of all times to act on his own? No, Dumbledore had to have sent him, talked him into being a spy. Severus knew personally how convincing the headmaster could be… But Pettigrew caved under the introduction torture every Death Eater faced. He told the Dark Lord the prophecy… Truly believing he had betrayed his friends, Dumbledore, and the Light, Pettigrew had no choice but to join the Dark Lord in earnest.

This was too horrible to be true, and yet… It made a sickeningly large amount of sense… The Dark Lord naturally wanted the threat the prophecy spoke of removed… Dumbledore sent the families packing, left the Potters open, and then Pettigrew came to the Dark Lord a second time with knowledge of where the Potter's were hiding…

Wait, that only happened because Black had switched places with him… Unless, did the headmaster have a hand in Black's sudden change of mind on who should be Secret-Keeper? With painful clarity, Severus remembered the anticipation of victory the Dark Lord had that night. His utter confidence as he went alone to Godric's Hollow.

Had Dumbledore felt the same sense of victory? Had he hoped both Voldemort and Harry would die? Or was it his hope that Harry would die and leave the Dark Lord and him alone to forever play their games of power? Either way Harry didn't die that night and the Dark Lord had disappeared…

What happened next? If Dumbledore did indeed set up the Potters and Harry to fall, what would he have done on hearing of the baby's survival? … There was mass panic, Severus remembered that, and he now remembered that Dumbledore had not been an exception as he usually was…

Was his panic due to fear that his schemes would come into the light? He must have been beside himself with relief when it was believed Black killed Pettigrew. There was no one left to reveal him with the rat's death, and that meant he must really have believed Black had killed the man to revenge his best friend… But Harry was still a threat that needed to be addressed.

So… If you can't destroy a threat, you subvert them… Dumbledore made sure Black was out of the way. He could have stepped in and gotten Black sent to a different prison, one that wouldn't drive him mad and torment him so cruelly, but he didn't. Not only would Azkaban keep him away from influencing Harry, it would also destroy Black's mind. Preventing him from growing suspicious that the headmaster had not done all he could to protect the Potters and had in fact left them vulnerable.

Lupin was easy to dispatch and manipulate. The man always was too emotional, and the wolf in him would have increased the emotional strain at the destruction of his "pack". Dumbledore hardly had to lean on him at all to get him to snap… But why go through all this trouble?

Severus placed shaking hands against his eyes, fingers curling painfully in his hair. Oh, he knew why. Dumbledore had seen the effectiveness of playing the protector and savior from abuse through Severus' own rehabilitation. There was no loyalty stronger than that of a supplicant rescued from painful abuse and horror. Putting Harry with abusive relatives would ensure the child's gratitude once he returned to the wizarding world and would place a deeply rooted feeling of indebtedness in Harry toward the headmaster for saving him. The abuse would also instill in the boy a submissiveness that Dumbledore could use. It would make The-Boy-Who-Lived willing to do anything to keep himself in the Wizarding world and out of his family's home, and now Severus had handed him more power to manipulate and control the boy.

Dumbledore didn't want Harry cured. No, of course not. This was too perfect. In Gabriel, he had an alter who wouldn't be able even _comprehend_ being anything less than the superhero. Best of all, Gabriel could be turned off, turned back into the controllable, malleable Harry. With this condition, Harry was a perfect weapon. There was only one problem: Silas. Silas was a Slytherin. Silas would do anything to survive and protect Harry and was very smart and cunning. He would turn on Dumbledore in a heartbeat, but Dumbledore couldn't do anything about it. Silas was best kept separate from the core personality. That way the Host Harry remained controllable and without Slytherin tendencies.

Severus would bet his most rare potion ingredients that the headmaster would ask him to find a way to keep Silas locked In or to find a way for Dumbledore to control when Silas came Out. Severus felt sick and dirty thinking such horrific things of Dumbledore. It just went against the grain, but he didn't think he was wrong. He had been suspecting the headmaster of darker motivations for a while. Denial was no longer an option.

He had to face the truth that somewhere along the way Dumbledore had begun committing evils to obtain his pure goals. That was the reason he had been so willing to hide Harry in the summer and to keep the child's secret for as long as possible once school started. Protecting Harry became even more important when he had come to care for the boy.

Pacing and agitated, Severus knew he had to make a plan. It was time to stop hiding and make decisions. It was time to think on his own again. Of one thing he was certain, Harry would not be going back to the Dursleys. Harry would not be a pawn and neither would he. Not anymore.

**Chapter end. Love it? Hate it? Let me know.**


	17. Grim Plans

A/N: Again, this is a promise that neither Harry nor Neville will be over-powerful. They will both face limitations and have reasonable boundaries. Yes, Harry is more powerful than other Wizarding children his age, but he is not a Dumbledore or a Voldemort yet. 

As for Neville, I don't want to give anything away too soon, but his magic will strengthen very little (besides Defense, that's the only hint I'll give!), and he only has three "special" talents (like Parseltongue for Harry) given to him due to being an Earth-elemental wizard, and two of the three are closely related, so really he only has two special abilities. That's all I'm saying on this subject and I hope you all continue to read and enjoy.

Grim Plans

Neville sat beside Harry, tightly holding his hand. Everyone else, including Ron and Hermione, were down in the Great Hall eating breakfast. Afterwards, they would make their way to Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts Express. Neville was miserable. He didn't want to leave Harry when he was still sick. The sound of someone moaning brought his head up and around.

“Nev," Remus said hoarsely, amber eyes dull with pain.

The clumsy Gryffindor jumped from his seat and hurried to his professor's side. There was a nightstand with a glass of water by the werewolf's bed, so Neville helped the man sit up and drink it. Remus drank slowly before settling back down. His eyes were brighter and the tension in his face relaxed some.

"What happened?" he rasped.

"I don't know much, Professor,” Neville answered readily. "Harry was in a coma, but he's now just unconscious. Sirius Black is in a spelled sleep. He has a bad case of suppressed pneumonia.”

"Peter?" Remus demanded feverishly and Neville swallowed nervously as that hot gaze held his.

“Who?"

“Pettigrew," he repeated impatiently. "Where's Peter Pettigrew?”

Neville shook his head helplessly. "I don't know, Professor."

"He got away, sir,” Hermione said from behind him. Neville turned to see Ron standing beside her. "You transformed and knocked Professor Snape unconscious. His spells fell and Pettigrew transformed. Black went after him, Harry sent you running away from us into the forest, and Black got hurt. Harry ran to help him. Black was surrounded by dementors. Harry ran into the middle of it and was badly hurt. He was in a coma, but Madam Pomfrey says that he entered a normal sleep early this morning. She hopes he'll wake by this afternoon."

"They would have been killed by the dementors," Ron spat the name in disgust, "but a magic storm kicked up and kicked their arses. Saved Harry and Black's lives."

"It was horrible." Hermione shivered. "That's why you were so injured, Professor. You should see the damage left over. A huge section of the forest is torn up and the ground is black and cracked. Even the lake is damaged. Mermaids came to the surface and Dumbledore talked to them. A dozen of their people were killed. Dumbledore gave them gifts to try and keep them from leaving. I'm not sure if they accepted or not."

Remus lay back and closed his eyes. 

Hermione and Ron shared worried looks, but when their Professor didn't move for several minutes they made their way to Neville at Harry's bedside. Harry's breathing was irregular and his face was tight with distress. No one said anything. Neville got the impression they wished he'd move so they could hold Harry's hand, but he wasn't going to.

"Ah, there you are,” Dumbledore said to the teens as he walked into the room. "You must be off. Harry's condition has improved and I'll owl you as soon as he wakes. The Express will leave without you if you don't hurry."

"Yes, Headmaster,” Hermione answered and pulled Ron toward her to the door. "Are you coming Neville?"

Neville nodded and the others left him behind. Dumbledore smiled down at him kindly and placed an age-spotted hand on his shoulder. Neville reluctantly let go of Harry's hand and made his way over to Professor Lupin. 

Remus's eyes were open again and he smiled at the young Gryffindor. "I'll keep in touch,” he promised.

"Thank you." Neville smiled tearfully. "Take care of yourself and keep an eye on Harry for me."

"I will. Don't worry, Nev." Remus squeezed his hand. "It will work out. You'll see."

Neville nodded and hurried out of the room. 

Remus turned his attention to the headmaster who was tenderly brushing Harry's hair from his face. "How is he?" he whispered tiredly.

"He'll be fine. He and Sirius were drained of magic by the dementors, but his levels are slowly rising. Poppy thinks he'll wake in a few hours." Dumbledore took the seat by his bed and pat his leg reassuringly. "How are you, my boy? Do you remember anything?"

Remus shook his head slightly. "Not after I transformed or before I woke up here."

"What do you remember?" Dumbledore asked and listened to his side of the story.

xXxXxXx

Severus sat in his office grading tests and homework. The castle was empty and quiet; it used to be his favorite time of the year, but that was far from his mind now. He was thinking only of Harry and Dumbledore. His revelation about the old manipulator changed nothing. He was still in the man's debt and could not publicly go against him or let the headmaster know of his suspicions, but neither could he let Harry down.

"Professor Snape."

Severus spun around to find a girl standing beside him behind his desk. His eyes widened and then narrowed, knowing no one had entered through his office door and there were no other entrances. She looked no older than fourteen and wore school robes without a House patch. He didn't recognize her and that made him stand slowly, carefully, and place his hand on his wand. There wasn't a child in the school that he couldn't put a name to.

The girl smiled and there was knowledge in her blue eyes that no teen could claim. "Hello, Professor. I'm Rowena Castle, and I'm here to beg something of you."

"What are you?" Severus asked without relaxing in the slightest.

"I am a phantom projected by Hogwarts Castle. Technically, I am the castle as are the other three. However, we have each developed individual personalities modeled after the founders and have taken territories for ourselves,” she explained. "Now, we don't have much time, so just agree and we'll get this over with."

Severus glared. "Agree to what?"

She smiled prettily. "Agree to teach Neville Longbottom how to meditate and enter into a trance. In return, I'll have Salazar give you a hand."

"Salazar?" Severus sneered disbelievingly. "And where are Godric and Helga?"

"Still sleeping,” Rowena answered easily. "That's what we do mostly. Watching everything that happens inside our walls in our dreams. Very rarely does anything wake us anymore. The magic storm woke Salazar. Dark magic and psychology are his obsessions, and it was interesting enough to make him stir. He woke me up because he wanted information from Neville. We can't ask for things unless we give something back in return. He did a quick scan to see what Neville needed and found out he was an untrained Earth-elemental wizard. My field of study is magic, studying Elemental magic is a hobby of mine, so he woke me. Neville helped Salazar, so I'm going to teach him how to master his talent, but first Neville needs to master meditation. Because I'm paying for Salazar's information, he owes me one. I'm going to take him up on that and have him help you with Harry Potter's condition. In exchange, you are going to help me with Neville. Understand?"

Severus was silent for a long minute. His disbelief was slowly falling away into awe. The founders left themselves in the walls of the castle, and the castle had absorbed enough magic over the centuries to give those leftover imprints real sentience, and now two of them were awake.

"How can Salazar help?" he asked carefully.

"I told you,” Rowena scolded mildly. "He's fascinated with Dark magic and psychology. He can enter another's mind and study them from the inside. What he found in Harry he's never seen before. He can tell you things about Harry's condition that you'd never find out otherwise."

"If he can enter another's mind, why didn't he just take whatever Neville knew that he needed instead of bargaining for it?"

"Good question,” Rowena approved. "Salazar cannot read a person's mind or look into their memories. He instead gets a feel for a person's soul. He sees who they are inside and the general shape or state of their spirits. Of course, he could probably explain it better."

"And the storm woke him up?"

"Yes, but don't think you've fooled us." She was smug. "We know it wasn't a natural magical storm. That wouldn't have captured Salazar's attention but mine instead. So the storm had to've been cast by a wizard, and Salazar knows it was Harry."

"Who else are you going to tell this to?" Severus asked grimly.

"No one,” Rowena reassured. "I only mentioned it because I know you know already and it is best to get these things out on the table."

"You are not bound to the headmaster?"

"Well, sort of." She laughed. "But it's the other way around. The headmaster is bound to protect the castle. In other words: Us. In exchange for this protection, Godric helps him out by talking to him through the wards. We help him when needed as well, but it is purely by choice."

"I thought Godric was asleep?" Severus frowned.

"He is. Even the original Godric talked in his sleep. Besides, wards are Godric's specialty. That's his territory: the castle wards. He's conscious enough to monitor them. When he's awake, he controls them instead of the current Headmaster."

"I see." Severus sat back in his chair and put his head in his hands. He had thought when he woke up that morning things couldn't get any more complicated than they already were. He hated being wrong.

"Professor?" She came up and put a hand on his arm. "Are you alright? Do we have a deal?"

"Yes, Miss Rowena Castle." He sneered tiredly. "We have a deal. It's not like I have a choice… Merlin help us. Longbottom is one of the fabled Elemental wizards."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that last part." She cleared her throat and yelled, "Salazar!"

A long limbed teen faded into sight next to Rowena. He didn't look happy about it, either. His arms were crossed and he was glaring petulantly. Severus fought back a laugh. This was the image of a thousand years of knowledge? 

Rowena lifted her eyebrow warningly at the boy. "You will help him understand Harry's condition."

"I was busy, Rowena!" Salazar literally stomped his foot. Severus' lips twitched and caught the boy's attention. "What are you laughing at! Harry's having a fit, and I wanted to watch what happens!"

"WHAT!" Severus jumped to his feet and ran out of his office.

"Good going, Salazar." Rowena glared at the smirking boy and disappeared.

xXxXxXx

Dumbledore had been gone for no more than fifteen minutes when Remus was pulled from sleep. It wasn't a sound or a change in light that woke him. It was the scent of terror that drew him back to consciousness. Tossing aside his blanket, he sat up and found himself looking straight at Harry. His eyes began to glow with protective intensity despite his exhaustion as he took in the teen's trembling form curled in the middle of his bed.

"Harry? What's wrong?" he rasped and slowly pulled himself up. His wounds gave sharp pains and he moaned deep in his throat, but he couldn't ignore his pup in need. "Harry. Speak to me."

Harry curled tighter, but he lifted head obediently and whimpered, "I'm sorry. Please. Please don't hurt me."

"What's the matter?" Remus limped over to the boy's bed. "No one's going to hurt you."

Harry began sobbing and didn't answer. 

Remus reached out and gently touched the boy's shoulder. Harry flinched back then went stock still. His cries grew louder, the sobs coming from deep in his chest. Remus murmured soothingly and pulled Harry into his arms, but that only made it worse. Harry wrenched himself away, screaming that he'd be good. His green eyes were wild and the smell of desperate terror wrapped around him.

Remus backed off slowly and painfully settled into a non-threatening crouch. "Harry. It's me. Remus Lupin. It's alright. Don't be afraid. You're safe, Harry. Tell me what's wrong." 

He continued to speak soothingly and little by little Harry's crying gentled. The boy huddled at the top of the bed, shivering and breathing raggedly. His face was damp with sweat and tears that were still falling slowly. Though Harry was calming, the 

terror hadn't eased. Remus crept a few inches forward.

"No. No, please. I'll be good. Please no more. Don't hurt me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, please,” Harry chanted, his green eyes pinned to Remus and getting more and more upset the closer Remus got.

The werewolf backed away again and Harry's voice tapered off. He started rocking, but his green eyes never left his professor's. Remus felt pressed down by the fear in the room. The wolf in him wanted to growl, to howl his defiance and destroy the cause of the terror. Unfortunately neither wolf nor man had any idea what Harry was so afraid of, so the human won out and he began to sing. It was the lullaby his mother used to sing to him when he was a child and in pain after the full moon.

"Don't hurt me no more,” Harry whispered pleadingly. His eyes grew heavy and they fell almost shut. 

Remus moved closer and the boy didn't react, clearly tired. Terror is a draining emotion, especially when kept at a fever pitch for long periods.

“Don't," Severus said very softly from the doorway. Remus looked back at him questioningly. "Don't touch him. It will make him panic."

"What's going on?" Remus asked between versus and began the lullaby again. 

Harry was swaying, tears silently running down his cheeks, his eyes gently closed. Remus wanted so badly to hold him, to love and protect him.

"That is what I want to know as well."

Severus spun and found the headmaster standing behind him. His hands clinched, but he had enough control to keep his face blank. 

Remus sniffed at the air and his bright eyes watched Severus's back curiously, but he didn't stop his gentle singing. 

The headmaster looked past both men and watched the broken teenager on the bed before looking back at his Potions Master.

"I believe it is due to the dementors,” Severus said evenly. "Potter was especially affected by them and being surrounded may have left lingering damage."

"I see,” Dumbledore said gravely and moved into the room. Severus warned him not to go closer. "Nonsense, my boy. I am not threatening."

Remus watched the old man approach. With every step, the headmaster seemed to project increasing amounts of serenity and wisdom. It was very soothing. Remus fell silent and backed away to give him room. He wanted to help Harry, but he was forced to a stop only an inch or so away from where he started by the faint but undeniable scent of anger and nervousness coming from the silent dark-haired man in the doorway.

He looked back, but he could see none of this on Severus' face. The ebony eyes met his for just a second and he's own widened. It was the headmaster. Severus didn't want the headmaster near Harry. Remus' head snapped around to watch this newly revealed threat. All his protesting muscles tightened, reading to pounce should Dumbledore give him the slightest reason to.

Harry's wide green eyes were open, had been so ever since Remus had fallen silent, and was watching the headmaster approach. The old man smiled softly and his blue eyes twinkled hypnotically. There seemed to be no negative reaction in the boy, but Remus' and Severus' sharp eyes saw the barely visible tremors in Harry's hands and shoulders. Each step Dumbledore took made them worsen.

Unseen by the others, Severus discreetly cast a sleep canceling spell toward Black. The sick man sat bolt upright as soon as Harry started screaming. The boy was cowering on the bed. His arms were up protecting his head as he screamed into his knees. Dumbledore yanked his hand back and tried to coax the boy to calm, but Harry was having none of it. Crying hysterically, shaking with fear, the green eyes jumped erratically around the room as he begged them all for mercy.

Black was trying to get out of bed, coughing and hacking in-between demands to leave Harry alone. Remus was standing and growling. His whole body was vibrating with the effort of not yanking the headmaster away from his pup. Severus stood rigidly in the doorway to the room. His face was blank, but his nails were slowly digging into his palms. Harry's tortured cries and gasping sobs tore into each of them.

"Get out of my way!" Poppy yelled and shoved past Severus. The Potion Master took a step inside to catch his balance. "What is going on in here? I demand you all leave at once! I must tend my patients!"

Dumbledore wisely backed away and Poppy began casting spells on the hysterical child. Remus made his way to Sirius and held him back from trying to get to his godson. It wasn't hard to do. The man was pale and dripping with sweat from taking a mere three steps. His skin was feverish and he could hardly breathe around the liquid in his lungs.

Poppy knew what she was doing and soon Harry began to fall quiet and then went to sleep. She cast a few more spells and tests and then hurried over to Sirius. She ordered Remus to lay him out on the bed. No one listened to the convict's weak protests and demands to see his godson. Dumbledore calmed him as best he could, but Sirius was delirious and not easily soothed when he had Harry's cries still ringing in his ears.

"I swear!" Poppy muttered darkly as she cast three healing spells on the sick man. "And you wonder why it takes so long to get better! Black, you stay in this bed or I will spell you unconscious again! Remus, help me get these potions in him."

Sirius didn't argue, but he glared mutinously at the witch as Remus gently poured potions into his mouth. 

"How is Harry? Do you know what's wrong with him?" the werewolf asked, knowing more information might settle him and Sirius.

"I don't have all my tests back, but I fear it was the dementors. I believe he is trapped in his worst memory,” she answered as she went back to the boy's bed and began to fuss with his blankets tenderly. It was easy to see that she was just as distraught as the men.

"A memory?" Remus paled, remembering what Harry had been saying. He was begging not to be hurt anymore. He growled. It was those sick Muggles. It had to be.

"WHO DID THAT TO HIM?" Sirius yelled and then broke into violent coughs.

Poppy scolded him, brandishing her wand. He shoved her away and she looked ready to retaliate when Dumbledore intervened.

"We are not sure, but rest assured I am looking into it,” he promised gravely. "However, I have suspicions that Harry may remember the night his parents were killed by Voldemort's hand."

Severus snorted at that. Everyone in the room except Poppy and Sirius knew very well there was more to it than that. Dumbledore shot him a very stern look and he subsided, but Remus had no such qualms. 

"From what I heard, it sounded like he was asking not to be punished,” he rasped angrily. "He was not even two years old when Voldemort killed James and Lily. He couldn't talk then, let alone beg for anything."

"He could be responding to the event as he would now,” Dumbledore explained. “He may be reliving the memory with the same mentality he possessed at the time."

"I've seen abused children, Headmaster,” Remus argued. "He flinched when he was touched and then held still expecting a worse punishment if he fought."

"We know nothing for sure,” Dumbledore said in such a way it was clear the subject was closed. "Until we do, it is pointless to guess."

"Should I make inquiries?" Severus offered casually.

"No." Dumbledore shook his head. "I will go with Harry back to his home and see what I can find out."

Convenient, Severus thought in disgust. He hated the man more in that moment than he ever thought possible and it took all his self-control not to lash out.

"Headmaster!" Remus protested. "You shouldn't bring Harry back there until you are sure he will be safe."

"I will be with him, Remus,” Dumbledore challenged him with his eyes and Remus backed down reluctantly. "He will be safe. Count on that."

"Of course, Headmaster."

“No," Sirius mumbled thickly, just barely hanging onto consciousness under all the healing spells. "Harry won't go back. Those Muggles could have hurt him and I'm his godfather. He stays with me."

"I'm truly sorry, my boy." Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "But that is not possible. Harry needs the blood protection offered by his aunt and we have no proof of your innocence. Harry must go back. I will make sure he is fine. Poppy will make sure I know how to care for him."

"I thought Poppy was going with you,” Severus spoke up.

"She was, but she has been called away to St. Mungo's. It seems that an epidemic of Dragon Pox has broken out. They need her help. Already she has postponed her departure and can't wait."

"When will you leave?" Remus asked tiredly.

"Tomorrow morning,” Dumbledore answered. "Now get in bed Remus. You are injured and Poppy has been glaring quite fiercely at you these last five minutes."

Remus smiled weakly and allowed the medi-witch to guide him to his bed. Sirius had fallen asleep after Dumbledore refused him and tears were drying on his pale cheeks. Dumbledore made his goodbyes and left the room, ordering Severus to follow him. Severus did so without saying a word. He was not surprised to find himself being lead to the headmaster's office.

"Have a seat, Severus." Dumbledore gestured to the chair across from his desk, but he didn't sit himself. Instead he stood with his hands on the desk. "I am not happy, Severus. I know you don't approve of Harry returning to his aunt's, but it must be so. Do not question me. I am looking ahead and know more of the consequences of doing as I am than you. Believe me when I say that not sending Harry home would be far worse for the child in the long run."

Severus bowed his head a few inches. "Yes, Headmaster."

"Good. Now I have a few questions." Dumbledore settled into his chair, satisfied that the man had been put back into place. "How many people know of Harry's condition?"

"As far as I know, only I do. Harry may have told others, but I doubt it. The boy tends to say as little as possible." Severus sneered. "His fellow Gryffindor friends know nothing, as usual."

"What about Remus?" Dumbledore asked sharply.

Severus shrugged. "It is possible, but again I doubt it. The Wolf was just overemotional and will see you are doing what is best when he calms down. I know his wounds must pain him still and that was fueling his distress."

"Good, good." Dumbledore nodded and leaned back with a smile. "You are right, my boy. I will do what is best for all of us, including Harry. Trust in me as you always do and help me keep an eye on the others. I'm not sure they can be counted on to think levelly for a while yet."

Severus bowed his head still further. "Yes, Headmaster."

He smiled benignly. "I know you like to finish your lesson plans for next year before you leave for your summer holiday. You may go."

"Thank you, Headmaster." He stood and made his way to the door.

"Oh, and Severus? I might have need of you in the upcoming months. Stay in communication."

"Yes, sir,” Severus answered and slipped down the stairs. His skin crawled with anger and disgust, but he was use to the feeling from the time he spent before Harry rid them of the Dark Lord and controlled his reaction well. His stride was even and unhurried, but his mind was racing. The beginnings of a plan were taking shape.

xXxXxXx

"You've been busy." Salazar grinned, appearing in the chair across from the Potions Professor's office desk.

"You have information about Harry's condition?" Severus asked. He was too tired to banter or beat around the bush with the phantom. It had been hours since the scene in Harry's sickroom and everything was ready and set in motion. All that was left to do is wait.

"Fine." Salazar shrugged. He preferred to get straight to the point anyway. "I've never seen a mind divided like Harry's. It's really amazing." His brown eyes lit with excitement. "From what I understand, it wasn't the dementor's that led to Harry's magic drain. When his oldest alter came Out, the one the others call Demon, he mostly used his own magic store, but he drew on the other alters' magic to focus his attacks. His own magic is chaos and he needed the more stable magics of the others to get the subtler results he craved. Pure destructive magic, or Dark magic as it is called now, is very chaotic, as you know. It takes great focus and/or emotions to get specific results. The alters were drained in order from youngest to oldest. At least, that is what I surmise from their magic levels and the fact that Boy suffered no magic drain.”

“Drained? Will they recover?” Severus asked sharply. 

“In time,” Salazar answered impatiently. “Anyway, the reason Demon was stopped was because of Boy. It’s Boy's job to stop pain. The other alters were incapacitated because of the pain of the dementors, but Boy is used to pain and could ignore it in favor of his powerful need to stop them from hurting. So he left his cupboard and forced the Demon's door closed. Unfortunately, he is not the strongest alter and it took him several minutes, about seven from my calculations, to force Demon back In. And in this time, Demon had gone through Gabriel, Silas, and Rose's magic. After draining Boy, my theory is Demon's magic would have lost the little control it had and truly start a storm. So Demon was forced In and the other alters were drained enough to sink them into recuperating comas. They are still recovering and it will be about four more days before they will return to consciousness. In this time, it is Boy who will remain Out. Personally, I think this is a good thing.”

“How could it possibly be a good thing?” Severus snapped, glaring hotly. How dare Salazar treat this as some sort of experiment. They were talking about Harry!

Salazar answered, oblivious, excited to share his theories. “Forcing Boy Out when there isn't pain or fear to cope with will give him mental strength and begin to heal him. I'd advise against having Harry try and merge with Boy as he has with Kitten. Boy isn't anywhere near as stable as Kitten and Rose, relatively speaking, and Harry will be insane and irreparably damaged. There is a reason Boy is separated from the main personality; he is completely insane and you should tame that before Harry confronts it or it will destroy him for good. As for Rose, she is very close to merging with Harry. Once he understands her purpose and origin, he will accept her. Unlike the other alters, Rose actually wants to rejoin Harry. She loves him and she loves you, Remus, and Neville. She wants Harry to get better and believes that loving you all will help him. She's right, of course, but I'd be wary. Once Harry accepts his feelings of attachment, Silas and Gabriel may not cooperate so well with him.” Salazar got an intense look on his face as he thought of those two alters. "Silas and Gabriel are different than the others. In fact, they have obtained a state of consciousness that rival that of Harry’s.”

Severus paled. “You think they will become competitive with Harry instead of cooperative?” Such a thing would be disastrous. 

Salazar nodded. “They have the ability to think, rationalize, and react as individuals and aren't obviously pieces of Harry's original personality. I believe that they've achieved this mostly due to the fact Harry is a wizard, and they have used magic consciously. Magic has a way of changing things in strange ways. Because of this I wouldn't encourage Harry to merge with these two alters until after Boy. And last, Demon.” He leaned forward and made sure he had Severus' complete attention. "Now there is good news, bad news, and worst news. The good news is that Harry and his natural alters have relative control over Demon. Demon does not influence Harry in anyway as the other alters subconsciously do.”

“Natural alters?” Severus lifted a brow, growing frustrated.

Salazar was too caught up in his explanations that he didn’t even notice Severus’s question. ”The bad news is that originally Demon was a pocket of Voldemort's hungry, angry, destructive soul trapped inside Harry. He was not born from Harry like the other alters but instead forced inside of him. Demon was foreign.”

Severus paled and felt his vision close in on him. Voldemort’s soul?

“And the worst news is that Harry and the others have been feeding Demon. He has grown and become able to reason in the most primitive ways. This base intelligence is how Demon was able to know to specifically destroy the dementors and not just randomly lash out, and why he thought to torture them before casting a death blow. Because of this, Demon is stronger than he was and may in the future be able to influence or even overpower the other alters. Granted this wouldn't be for several more years yet, but it's good to be aware of it.”

Severus’s hands began to tremble. Oh, Merlin!

"The last thing I discovered about Demon is that Voldemort is still connected to Harry through Demon. That means as the Dark Lord regains strength he may be able to strengthen Demon, allowing the dark alter to make a takeover of Harry's soul faster than he would naturally. Of course, it would be worse if he were to reabsorb Demon back into himself with all the anger and hate Harry has added. This would make Voldemort much more powerful than ever before. The good part about Harry strengthening Demon is the possibility that Voldemort might not be able to reabsorb Demon because Harry is making Demon his own so that Demon is no longer Voldemort's to call back." 

Salazar fell silent expectantly and wasn't disappointed. Severus' reaction was all that he could have hoped. The man just stared at him dumbly. Salazar couldn't blame him; he had just dumped a lot of information in the man's lap. Feeling merciful, Salazar faded away and left the man in peace.

Severus didn't notice the phantom's departure and that alone spoke volumes on how shaken he was. Silas had been a great help, but he hadn't known any of the things Salazar had been able to find out. The information about Demon was… terrifying. Severus felt like screaming in rage and exhaustion. What was he supposed to do with this? It was impossible; all of it! 

Instead of breaking down, he calmly summoned his best liquor with a flick of his wand. He didn't feel the least bit guilty. He deserved it.

xXxXxXx

Dumbledore woke with the wards informing him that an adult former student and a current student had left. There was only one student remaining at school. It had to be Harry! Lifting his sleeping robes to his knees, he ran for the area that he had felt the disturbance. He was following a glowing yellow trail only he could see from the tracking spell he had cast the instant the wards were breached. He was surprised to find himself being led away from the front gates but instead halfway under the school. Sirius must know of an underground passage! When he reached the floor with the Hospital Wing, he ran into Remus who was clumsy with pain. Dumbledore grabbed him and held him on his feet, demanding to know what happened with sharp blue eyes.

"Sirius! Harry and Sirius are gone!" Remus panted out, panicked. "I woke up and they weren't in their beds! I went to the infirmary, but it was empty. Poppy's already gone. We have to find them!"

"Calm down, Remus,” Dumbledore ordered and leaned the man against the wall. He was pleased that Remus was still on his side and had come to him, but he could not allow Harry out of his grasp. "I will search for him. Go wake Severus and have him find me."

"Yes, Headmaster!" Remus spun with an agonized whimper and made his way as quickly as he could toward the dungeons.

Damn that man! Dumbledore cursed as he found himself at a dead end in front of a statue of a one-eyed witch. He wasted precious minutes discovering how the opening worked. Then he was diving into the passage and running on into the dark. The trap door at the bottom of Honeydukes was already open and he came flying out. Sirius and Harry were nowhere to be seen and he followed the yellow trail to the front door where it abruptly ended.

Dumbledore lifted his wand and a quick spell revealed that Sirius hadn't Apparated. Damn! He could have followed an Apparation, but this by no means meant he had lost them. He raised his wand again, but he didn't cast a spell. A sharp bang exploded in the night and the Knight's Bus came to a screeching halt in front of him.

"Have you seen a sick man and an unconscious or hysterical teen?" he demanded as soon as the door opened.

Stan gaped at the powerful wizard for a second before nodding. "Yes, sir. They came on the bus a few minutes ago, didn't they, Ernie?"

"Take me to where you let them off,” Dumbledore ordered. "No stopping in between. It is imperative I catch them."

"Of course, sir! Take'er away, Ernie, and make it snappy!"

Dumbledore was thrown to the ground twice before the bus came to a halt. He leapt agilely from the vehicle. The yellow of the tracking spell could be seen again, but it was fading quickly. He only had a few more minutes before he'd lose them. He stared into the late night crowds of downtown London and grimly cast an invisibility charm before Apparating down the block. He made three jumps before the yellow disappeared. He'd lost them.

"Headmaster?"

He turned to find Severus striding toward him. "Severus. Sirius has run and he has Harry. I've followed his trail here, but I've lost them. Continue the search. I'm going to the Ministry. I've been putting off Cornelius, but I believe it's time to inform him that we know Sirius' location. If they are still in London, we will find them."

"Stupid mutt." Severus sneered. "What is he thinking?"

"I have no idea, my boy." Dumbledore shook his head. "But he is sick and has suffered greatly in Azkaban. If you find him, don't damage him too greatly."

Severus glared in answer and Dumbledore Apparated away with a forced smile. Severus waited a few seconds just to be safe. He turned and walked slowly up the street, shedding his Wizarding clothes as he went. He didn't dare to cast magic. That could be traced. After going three blocks, he found a busy road and hailed a cab. He got in and gave terse directions to an abandoned Muggle theater.

Sirius was sitting next to an unconscious Harry in the alley between the theater and a department store. Harry was shivering in his sleep despite the arm around his shoulders that was holding him close to his godfather's overheated body. Sirius had a coughing fit every few minutes. Neither was doing too well.

Severus sneered down at the convict and hated that he needed the mutt. "Here." He offered him directions on a piece of paper. "This town is about two hours from the city and is near a house I own. No one knows of its existence. Take a room in the smallest inn. I will fetch you and bring you to the house as soon as I can. Lupin will join you soon."

Sirius got to his feet and accepted the piece of paper with the directions and the thick wallet of Muggle money. "I'm going to want answers later, Snape,” he bit out.

Severus sneered and bent to pick up Harry since the filthy mutt obviously couldn't do it. It was harder than he thought possible to release the small teen into the other man's arms, but he did it. "Just stay alive,” he spat. "If Harry wakes, don't touch him. Talk to him and give him space. He won't come out of the fear completely, so don't expect him to. You might have to order him to eat and drink. Can you handle that or is this too much information for your addled mind to handle?"

"Shut it!" Sirius growled, cradling his godson. "I can take care of Harry."

"For your sake, you better,” Severus threatened and a cab pulled up before Sirius could answer.

Severus watched the cab pull away before turning and walking in the opposite direction. When he got back to the point where Dumbledore had left him, he summoned a new robe and began a false search, hoping he'd lead both the headmaster and the Ministry astray. He only hoped that the few days Remus and he would be tied up with Dumbledore, Sirius and Harry would be okay alone. He was not comfortable in the slightest leaving Harry in the care of a seriously ill man bordering on insanity, but there were literally no other options available.

Chapter end.


	18. Distress

**Distress**

"Hey, buddy?" 

When he got no response, the cab driver reached behind him and shook his passenger's shoulder. Sirius jerked away from the touch, yelling and pressing himself in the corner defensively. 

"Hey!" the driver said surprised. "Calm down, buddy. We're here."

Sirius looked out the window and found they were stopped in front of an unfamiliar inn. He looked beside him and saw Harry curled up on the seat, still sleeping. He relaxed and reached out to smooth the boy's hair. Everything was alright. Harry was alright. There were no dementors here. It wasn't a dream; he was free.

"Buddy. You alright?" The cab driver now looked worried as he watched the man's hand tremble on the boy's hair. There was just something not right about the pair. He began to have misgivings. Would the man hurt the kid? "Is that your son?"

Sirius' head snapped up and he finally focused on the Muggle. He swallowed hard and tried to gather his wits. He had to focus. He couldn't drift off. Harry needed him. He forced his hands to still and to sit straighter. He offered a charming smile, not knowing that it looked strange when paired with his haunted eyes. The driver's frown deepened.

“No," Sirius said with only a slight rasp and a few seconds of coughing. "I'm his godfather."

"Where's his parents?" the Muggle demanded.

Sirius felt his face tighten and looked away. "Dead."

The muggle relaxed. So that was why the man looked like crap. He figured the boy's parents had died recently. Filled with sympathy, he said nothing more as the scrawny man hefted the small teenager and walked slowly to the hotel door. He didn't even complain about not being tipped.

"Poor buggers." He shook his head and drove off.

**xXxXxXx**

"May I help you?" the smiling receptionist asked him.

Sirius nodded. "I need a room. I don't know for how long."

"How many will be staying?" the girl asked, still smiling brightly despite it being very late (or very early depending on how you look at it).

"Two. Just two,” Sirius answered hoarsely and coughed.

She typed at her computer. "Alright then."

Harry began to stir. Sirius's arms tightened as the boy shifted and gave a low moan. The convict's eyes darted around the small lobby. It was empty except for the receptionist and the bell-hop/doorman/maintenance man. Harry began to whimper. Sirius felt himself begin to panic. What was he going to do? Snape had told him his godson might wake up upset like he was in the sickroom. He wasn't supposed to touch him. He might have to order him to eat. He shook his head with wonder. Since when had he looked to Snape for guidance?

"We have smoking and non-smoking rooms. Which do you prefer, sir?"

“Non-smoking," he answered quickly.

"One or two beds?" she continued, oblivious to Sirius' rising distress.

Harry opened terrified eyes and began to scream. He twisted in Sirius' arms in a desperate attempt to get free. Sirius dropped to his knees, afraid that Harry would be hurt if he fell from so far a height. Panicked, he hugged the boy tighter. "Shhh…" he pleaded as he rocked the crying boy. The receptionist looked aghast and the doorman was beginning to look aggressive. "Harry… Please…" he begged, holding the boy's head against his shoulder to muffle his cries.

"What's going on?" the man demanded. "Let the boy go!"

Sirius stared up at the two Muggles. His breath was wet and ragged in his throat. His eyes were wide and glassy with fear and sweat beaded on his forehead. "I'm not hurting him,” he said quickly, terrified they'd try and take his godson from him. "I'm his godfather."

"I said, let the boy go,” the man repeated slowly. "Sheryl. Call for the manager."

"No!" Sirius yelled. "He's fine! Harry's fine. He's just scared. He'll be alright. I'm not going to hurt him. I'm protecting him. I have to protect him. You can't take him! You can't take him from me!"

"Calm down,” the man said and took a careful step toward the struggling boy. "I'm not going to take him. I just want you to let him go. We don't want trouble here, fella. Just let the boy go."

"Harry, stop. Please, Harry,” Sirius begged the child thrashing in his arms.

Harry's desperate cries and terrified screams got clearer as Sirius began to lose his grip. The manager had arrived and was threatening to call the police. Sirius knew he had failed. Remus had trusted him to take care of Harry. To get him away. He wasn't sure what was going on, but Moony told him he couldn't trust Dumbledore or the Aurors. Now the Muggles were going to take his godson away and the dementors were going to get Harry. 

_Think, Sirius! Think!_ he ordered himself. _There had to be a way out of this._

Harry kicked free and crumpled to the floor in a huddled ball. His cries instantly cut off and he began rocking and tearfully apologizing over and over. Sirius crouched shaking at his side. He saw that the Muggles had hesitated, shocked by Harry's behavior. 

Coughing violently, Sirius sat and reached out a pleading hand to stay the manager's call. “Please," he rasped. "I'm not hurting him. He's not himself right now. He has a… a condition! He'll be better once we get settled in a room."

"What's wrong with him?" the receptionist asked, tears running down her cheeks as she listened to the broken child.

"Is he autistic?" the doorman asked sympathetically. "I have a nephew who has that."

“Yes," Sirius agreed not knowing what in the world the Muggle was talking about, but smart enough to recognize an out when it was offered to him. "I would have said sooner…" He had to stop to cough. "I would have told you, but I thought you wouldn't let us stay. I'm sick and can't finish traveling home until I feel better. I promise he won't cause any trouble. I'll look after him, I swear."

The manager hung up the phone and looked to his two employees. When he saw that they had sided with the sobbing teen, he caved with a heavy sigh. "Alright. You can stay, but keep him calm."

"Yes. Of course." Sirius almost burst into tears of relief and had to duck his head to hide them.

_Get it together, Sirius!_ he silently yelled at himself. But he didn't know what to do next. How was he going to pick up Harry? The boy would go nuts again! _Oh, Harry._ Tears fell from his eyes. _Why are you like this? What happened? It's my fault. I should have been there for you. I let you down, James. Look at your son!_

"Sir?"

Sirius' head snapped up and he wiped at his tears frantically. "Yes? Sorry, just had a..."

"I understand,” she offered when Sirius fell helplessly silent. She still had tears in her eyes as well. "I put you in room 206. It's a corner room and will block most of the sound he could make. If you need anything, ask for me. My name's Sheryl. The Inn doesn't provide room service, but I'd be happy to bring you anything."

Sirius smiled with all his heart and the girl blushed. "Thank you, Sheryl."

_Guess I still have it in me,_ he mused happily. He turned his eyes on his now silently rocking godson. The boy's green eyes were wide and staring around him in paralyzed terror. Snape had said he might not eat, to order him to. Did that mean the boy would obey orders? It was worth a try. These people would grow suspicious soon if he didn't get out of their sight.

"Harry." The teen focused on him and began mumbling pleas not to be hurt. "Follow me,” Sirius said firmly. "Now."

Sirius stood and let out a deep breath when Harry got to his feet as well. His shoulders were hunched and his chin rested very close to his chest in a protective gesture. His eyes flicked rapidly at all the people in the room. His thin body shook, but he took the steps needed to get onto the elevator next to Sirius. He chose the farthest corner and huddled there. He screamed when the elevator dinged and the doors shut.

"Shhh... Harry, it's alright. I've got you. You're alright. Please don't be afraid, Harry." Sirius was hugging himself. Tears dripped down his cheeks and from his chin. He felt like he was going to fall apart. Not yet. No, not yet. He had to get them to their room. He had to make sure Harry was safe.

"Get inside,” Sirius ordered as he unlocked their room. 

Harry scrambled to obey, crying loudly. 

Sirius followed him in and shut and locked the door behind him. He turned around to find Harry hiding under the desk across the room. He was so frightened. So small. Sirius slid down the door, crying into his hands. He couldn't do it. He couldn't. Moony shouldn't have trusted him with Harry.

The world shifted, the colors bled away and he was panting with thick warm fur all around him. The despair, panic, and fear all melted away into simple anxiety. He could hear Harry's cries clearer, smell the sweat of fear. Both lessened as the minutes passed. Whimpering, Sirius lifted his head to see the boy curled up, still under the desk. His vivid green eyes were dulling and were half-closed. A deep shuttering breath was released and the teen's muscles relaxed a bit.

With a whine he crawled toward his godson, sudden happiness filling him at being near the child he had dreamed of for twelve long years. Harry had been his light. If it wasn't for Harry, he'd be dead. He looked just like Prongs. He smelled like them both. He licked the boy's hand.

Green eyes stared at him and didn't respond. He wasn't afraid, wasn't happy. He was just tired and tense. Sirius licked the boy's tears from his face, his tail thumping behind him. Harry stirred, turned his face away. Sirius settled at his side, sharing his warmth. Soon they were both asleep.

**xXxXxXx**

Boy's eyes flashed open and he scrambled to put a wall at his back, his heart beating painfully fast against his chest. Gasping, eyes blurred with tears, he stared in horror at the sleeping man within reach. A choked sob slipped past his lips, and Boy stuffed both fists against his mouth, desperate to keep silent. He couldn't wake the man.

Shaking, he crawled out the side of the desk. He moved excruciatingly slowly, freezing in place whenever the man coughed in his sleep. It took almost ten minutes to escape the desk and man. He huddled on his knees, gathering his strength as he hid his face in his shaking hands. No more. Please. He didn't want to be hurt no more.

He began crawling again, crying as he looked back. He was going so slow. The man was still so close. _Hurry,_ he begged himself. _Find a safe place. Shhh, don't wake him; he'll be so mad, so mad and it will hurt and hurt and hurt._ He had to stop to muffle his sobs. Eventually, he made it to the door.

"Please…" he whispered very softly to the door. His voice trembled and fat tears filled his desperate green eyes. "Please be open. Please be quiet."

His prayer was answered and the door opened easily and soundlessly. Boy sagged with relief and escaped the room with the man and the promise of more pain.

**xXxXxXx**

Sirius woke five hours later in a human body and hacking uncontrollably. Light came in through the window and Sirius groaned. It was only an hour or so since dawn, but he was too sick to sleep. He knew he had a fever. His lips were so dry, he was dying of thirst. He stumbled and staggered to the bathroom and drank thirstily from the faucet there. Half the time he was sputtering and choking, but he got enough in him to ease his torment.

Still coughing softly, he made his way back to the room. His blue eyes widened. The space under the desk was empty. Where was Harry? Sirius threw himself across the room and he looked under both beds. Nothing. He ran to the front door, but the locks were still in place. He ran back to the bathroom, doubled over with a coughing fit. The shower was empty. He spun around and ran to the room's window. There was about a fifteen foot drop to cobble stones. No way could Harry have made that jump. Unless he used magic…

"Harry!" he yelled desperately, looking both ways down the street. A sound from behind him had him tumbling back into the room and looking around frantically. "Harry?"

A soft whimpering could be heard and Sirius found a second door. He yanked it open. It was an empty closet and Harry was curled, shaking in the dark. He started screaming pleas as soon as the door was open and his arms covered his head as he cowered at his godfather's feet.

Sirius morphed and the dog licked and whined until the boy relaxed. Sniffling, Harry reached a shaking hand for the door. He wanted to shut it, but the dog was in the way. Crying gently, Harry shoved carefully at the animal. Sirius didn't want to leave Harry, but neither did he want to be shut up in a dark, small closet. He began to shake as he saw the cell begin to rise up around him. The sound of the dementor's rattle was growing closer.

He scrambled back out of the closet and Harry shut the door. Sirius morphed back into human form and leaned his head against the door. He felt weak and pathetic. He was letting his godson down. _Oh, Prongs. Lils. Why did you leave?_ He shook his head. _No. Not now._ He had things to do… For a horrible moment, he couldn't think of one thing he needed to do and his mind began to crumble. Then he remembered Snape's instructions. He grabbed hold of them desperately. Feed Harry. Order him to eat and drink. Keep him safe and alive.

"Harry, it'll be alright, pup. I'm going to be right back. I'm going to get us food, okay? Don't go anywhere. Stay right there, okay? I'll be back, Harry. Don't be afraid." Sirius backed away. He made sure he had the room key and slipped from the room. What was that girl's name? She would help him. She'd know what he should bring up to his godson to eat. Sherry? Yes. He'll go ask Sherry.

Unfortunately, the shifts must have changed. There was a young man at the receptionist desk now. Sirius approached carefully, covering his mouth as he began to cough. The young man looked at him with disdain and Sirius began to feel nervous. He put his hands in his pocket and felt for the wad of Muggle money. He had it still. Reassured, he approached.

"Can I help you?" the man asked reluctantly.

"Yes…" Sirius coughed once more. "I need food for a… thirteen year old… yes, that's how old he'd be now..." Sirius flushed, realizing he was messing things up, but he felt so sick. "Anyway, I need food. Where should I go?"

"I recommend some cough syrup."

Sirius shook his head. "No, thanks. I already have a cough."

The man looked at him strangely. "Do you have a fever?"

"Yeah, so where should I get food?" Sirius asked again. He began to feel nervous. He shouldn't leave Harry alone. What if something happened? Harry could get stuck or hurt. What if he was captured? He moaned in fear.

"Look, sir,” the man now looked worried. "What room are you in?"

"2…" Sirius forgot the number and had to look down at his key. "206."

"Why don't you go back to your room and I'll see what I can get for you?" he offered.

"Thank you!" Sirius cried. He almost reached over to hug the man but stopped himself at the last minute. He settled for another heartfelt thank you.

The man flushed. "No problem, sir."

Sirius turned and ran back to the elevator. He almost pried the doors open with his bare hands when he got to the second floor. He bolted down the hallway and fumbled with the locks. He ran into the room and threw open the closet. Harry was still there and screamed as Sirius grabbed him in a hug. The scream shocked Sirius back to reality and he flung himself away.

"Shhh. It's okay. I'm sorry. I just thought… I'm so glad you're alright. Don't worry, Harry. They'll bring you food soon."

The boy shook and cried. Sirius couldn't stand it and transformed. He lay just outside the closet. Harry calmed and again reached for the door, wanting it shut. Sirius licked the boy's hand, but he couldn't bring himself to go in there and lay with his godson. It was just too small and dark.

"I'm sorry, Harry,” Sirius whispered hoarsely at the closed closet door. "But I'll be right here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll protect you, Harry. Don't worry. I'm here."

His reassurances were cut off with another coughing fit. Eventually he ended up on the bed, gasping for breath and trying hard not to jar his chest and start another fit. His throat hurt bad, and if he had anything in his stomach, he was sure he'd have vomited. He turned his head and had a perfect view of the closet. Reassured, he relaxed and focused on breathing.

**xXxXxXx**

Sirius was jerked from a fevered sleep by knocking. He weaved as he made his way to the door. The woman from the night before stood there with four bags of food. He welcomed her in and she scolded him about not taking care of himself. Sirius barely understood her and went back to the bed, coughing again.

Sheryl put a cold compress on his head and gave him Tylenol and cough syrup. When she was sure he was resting easy, she searched for the autistic boy. She found him sleeping in the closet. Sheryl smiled. She remembered doing the same thing as a child. It always seemed like a safe place. She got the blankets and pillows from the second bed and made the boy a nest. She woke him and his green eyes were so frightened of her. She talked lovingly and was careful to move really slow and not touch him.

When she finished, she got up and grabbed a bag of food. Sheryl put it in the closet with the boy, pointing out all there was in it. There was a jug of milk along with chips, bread and cheese if he wanted to make a sandwich, and chocolate bars. The boy rocked and whimpered, but seemed to be listening to everything she was saying. She also gave him her little mag-light from her belt. She turned it on and slowly shut the door.

"Thank you,” Sirius whispered and fumbled for his pants. He pulled out a thick wad of money and she gasped.

"Be careful with that,” she scolded. She carefully counted out how much she had spent on food and medicine and handed him the rest. "I'll be back later tonight. Rest."

"Thank you,” Sirius murmured again and fell asleep.

**xXxXxXx**

Four days passed. Sheryl came twice a day to tend Sirius and Harry. Sirius was feeling a bit better, though he still had a horrible cough. Harry was still hiding in the closet. Sirius had to order him to use the bathroom and shower, but the boy had no problems eating whatever was given to him as long as he was left alone with the food in the closet. They had no word from either Snivels or Moony, and Sirius was beginning to worry.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry opened his eyes and saw nothing. He groaned and straightened his stiff limbs. His legs were only half-uncurled when he hit a wall. His arms sprang above him and collided with another. Blankets were wound around him and bags crinkled as he moved. Harry yelled and kicked out in panic. What was going on? Where was he? Why couldn't he see anything?

**Calm down,** Silas said tiredly. **Feel around for a door before you panic.**

"Sy?" Harry stilled with surprise. "How…?"

**Our barriers have thinned since the last dementor attack,** Silas answered. **I'm sure this will not be possible once we fully recover.**

**Now hurry up on looking for that door,** Gabriel grumbled.

"What do you care? I'm the one stuck in here,” Harry muttered and groped in the dark.

**Obviously, we're stuck if you are,** Silas sneered, humor in his voice.

"Yeah, yeah." 

Harry found the door knob and turned. The door swung open and he tumbled into the light of day. Rubbing at his sore eyes, he looked around. He was in a hotel room of some sort. It was fairly small and not the best quality. He recognized Black sleeping on the bed.

"What's going on?" he asked in a whisper.

**About that…** Gabriel said sheepishly and began to explain everything that happened on June 6th. Silas spoke up frequently to add detail. Harry sat dumbly as he listened to his alters' story.

"Wow," was all he could bring himself to say when they finished. He stood and stretched before making his way to the bathroom. When he was finished, he washed his hands and filled the glass that was sitting there. He drank thirstily, all the while still considering all that he had been told.

"I feel bad for him,” he finally decided. "To be falsely accused and punished. I can't imagine being locked up with dementors for so long."

His alters were silent.

"What? You don't like him?"

**He's a stranger. Just because he is our godfather doesn't mean he's instantly trustworthy,** Silas answered.

**I don't care either way,** Gabriel said indifferently.

"Well, we need to know what's going on." Harry shook his head. "We're going to have to trust him some. I can't just run away without knowing what we're doing here."

He didn't wait for an answer and made his way back to his godfather's bedside. The man looked sick and too thin. He hated to disturb his sleep since it was obvious he didn't get enough of it, but he really did need to know what was happening. Where were Severus and Remus? He carefully reached out and touched Sirius' shoulder.

Sirius sat bolt upright and immediately began to cough. Harry patted his back and apologized for waking him. Sirius shook his head and told him it was alright. The man froze and looked at the boy with wide blue eyes. 

"Harry? Are you alright?"

“Yeah," Harry said with a confused face. "Are you?"

"Oh, Harry!" Sirius leapt and tackled the boy while hugging him tight.

Harry squawked and his face turned bright red with embarrassment. Was the man crying?

"Sorry about that." Sirius pulled away smiling sheepishly and wiping at his eyes. "I was just so happy to see you doing better!"

"W-what do you mean?" Harry asked, still flustered.

"Well, you were so frightened and hid the closet and would scream and stuff if anyone touched you,” Sirius explained. "Don't you remember?"

**He must be talking about Boy.** Silas frowned. **Don't let on you don't remember. Shrug sheepishly and say it's just like a bad dream you woke up from.**

Harry hesitated, but followed Silas' advice.

Sirius nodded and a haunted expression filled his face. "Yeah. I know what you mean."

"So…ah…" Harry uncomfortably changed the subject. "What's going on? Where are we?"

Sirius shook himself and explained everything he knew, which wasn't much. "I woke up and we were in a sickroom. You were screaming and huddled on a hospital bed next to mine. Dumbledore was trying to calm you, but you wouldn’t stop, so Pomfrey spelled you asleep, but I stayed awake and listened to them talk. Moony was saying how you acted like you had been… well, abused… and Dumbledore said he was going to take you back to the Dursleys, and I said no ‘cause you're my godson and you might be hurt there."

**I don't think he has all his marbles.** Gabriel laughed. **That's the longest sentence I've ever heard.**

"But they wouldn't let me have you,” Sirius continued, unaware of the interruption. "Then I fell asleep. Moony woke me and said I was to take you and go. He said to leave through the Honeydukes passage and then use the Knight Bus. He gave me your wand to use. Here it is…" Sirius gave the wand to the boy who immediately hid it in his pocket. "We got off in London and I took a taxi like Moony said to an old theater. We waited a good thirty minutes and Snape came. He got us another taxi and it drove us out to this Muggle town. We are to stay here until Snape can come back and take us to some hideaway."

"How long have we been here?" Harry frowned.

"Four or five days, I guess." Sirius smiled sheepishly. "I got a bad fever, so time is a bit blurry."

"What should we do now?" Harry asked his alters.

**Wait,** Silas said reluctantly. **I believe Black is missing a few key pieces. We're not even sure what we're up against and could run right into trouble if we act too soon.**

**Whatever.** Gabriel yawned. **I'm bored. Wake me up when things get exciting.**

"You don't want to stay?" Sirius asked his godson, not knowing the question wasn't meant for him. "You think something has happened to Snape and he's not coming?"

"No!" Harry waved his hands in denial. "No, I didn't mean that. Sev… err…I mean, Professor Snape will come if he said he would. I'm sure he won't be much longer."

"If you say so." Sirius frowned. "He probably set us up, the coward."

Harry glared. "He wouldn't do that."

"He's fooled you,” Sirius scoffed. "That man is rotten through and through."

"He's helped me out when he didn't have to,” Harry argued earnestly. "I owe him a lot. He wouldn't do anything to put me in danger."

"If you say so, kid,” Sirius repeated and got to his feet. "How 'bout we get something to eat? I think we both could use it."

Harry didn't say anything as he followed the happy man from the room. The woman at the receptions desk was shocked to see him. Sirius had to stand there and stutter explanations on why Harry was walking around like a normal kid. Feeling bad for the man and not really wanting to get kicked out of the hotel they were supposed to be staying in, Harry stepped up and repeated everything Silas told him too.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, ma'am. I'm not autistic. My godfather just said that to save me embarrassment." Here he looked at the ground with a shameful blush that he was actually lying like this, but that was perfect for the story he was telling and Silas was smirking in his head. "I… umm… I have fits…" Harry cringed and then against Silas' wishes told her some truth to make up for the lies even though the truth hurt. "I saw my parents murdered… But I'm fine now… Sirius takes really good care of me."

"Oh, honey." Sheryl knelt and wrapped the teen into a warm hug. Harry was hot red again and Sirius was looking at him over the girls shoulder with awe and pride. Harry glared at him and the convict turned to hide his grin. Sheryl stood. "Where are you two heading then?"

"Getting something to eat,” Sirius answered, still smiling but not too suspiciously.

"I have a break now. Why don't I take you two out? I know the best restaurant."

"Thanks!" Sirius accepted happily and led the way to the door like an excited puppy.

Harry shook his head and Sheryl laughed. She took them to a pub, and the two boys (the description was perfect for Sirius) were starving and ate two helpings each. They spent almost three hours there and were laughing during almost all of it because of Sirius. Harry couldn't ever remembering feeling so free. There was nothing there to pressure him and he could sit there and pretend, if for just a few hours, that nothing was wrong and he was normal.

After they ate, Sheryl had to go back to work. Sirius and Harry went back to their hotel room. They talked about Quidditch and a bit about James and Lily. Mostly they just sat together and watched television, not wanting to get too personal or ruin the happy buzz both of them had. The TV screen was fuzzy, but Sirius was enthralled. He'd never seen Muggle television before and Harry had to answer a hundred questions about it.

The sun had set hours ago and they were considering going to bed when there was a knock on the door. Sirius jumped to his feet and asked who it was. He was already reaching for the locks, thinking it was Sheryl, but he stopped when a male voice came through.

"It's Remus!" Harry cried and ran to the door.

"Moony!" Sirius threw the locks and flung the door open, falling into his friend's arms in the process and starting another coughing fit.

Harry saw Severus was standing next to the werewolf and smiled a huge smile. "Sir! Come in!"

"Harry." Severus inclined his head and his eyes lit up with relieved warmth. "How are you feeling?"

**Don’t,** Silas cut in, knowing Harry was about to say he could hear them. Harry frowned, so he added quickly, **Tell him later when you're alone.**

"Fine, sir,” Harry submitted and Silas sighed in relief. "What's going on?"

"We'll discuss that when we get to my home,” he answered and gestured him out into the hall.

Harry obeyed. Sirius was done coughing and fell into step with Remus a few feet behind Harry and Severus. Harry could hear them talking in whispers, but he had no idea what they were saying. He suspected it was about him and looked up curiously at his professor's face. Severus looked drawn and thin. His face was paler than normal and his hair was tangled as well as greasy. He began to fidget and fret, but Severus placed his long-fingered hand on his shoulder to sooth him. Harry smiled gratefully.

They walked out of town and Severus grabbed all three of them before Apparating away. He arrived in front of a crumbling town house and walked up to the front door. After using a Muggle key, speaking a password, and smearing the door with blood from a pricked finger, the door swung open into the house Harry knew so well from the summer.

"Was that a portal?" Remus asked.

"Yes." Severus answered smugly. "We are now somewhere in north Italy. Leaving by any window or the front door will transport you back to the decrepit house outside of the Muggle town in England. It is to prevent any magical signatures from being traced to this location, as there has been no magic worked outside these walls, which are warded, I assure you. We will not be found here. By anyone."

Remus was impressed. "That must have taken you years to build."

"It did." Severus led the way to the dinning room where Omi stood waiting to greet them. "If anyone is hungry…"

"It isn't poisoned, is it?" Sirius glared. Severus ignored him completely.

"Sir, I'm not hungry, but I have a few questions,” Harry spoke up.

Severus nodded and turned to the other men. "Omi will get you what you need and show you to your rooms."

"Where are you going?" Sirius yelled and stormed over to them. "You're not going anywhere alone with Harry!"

“Sirius…” Harry frowned, he but was interrupted by Remus.

"We have a lot to discuss. Come on, Padfoot." Remus took the convict's arm carefully. "I swear Harry is safe."

Sirius reluctantly backed down. 

Severus sniffed his disdain and strode gracefully from the room. Harry followed him from into the parlor. He sat in his place on the couch and Severus took his accustomed chair across from him. Severus closed his eyes for a minute and leaned his head back. Harry frowned. His teacher looked really worn out. He began to fidget again.

"There is much to be said,” Severus finally spoke up. "But before we get started, I want to know how you are."

“Fine," Harry assured. "I think Boy was Out with Sirius for a while. I only woke up this morning. What's the day?"

"It is June 12th,” Severus said solemnly. "You were surrounded by dementors and that created damage in your mind enough to draw Out Demon. He killed the dementors and caused massive damage to the area by creating a magical storm. The castle would have sustained damage had not the Headmaster been feeding the wards."

Harry swallowed with a pale face.

"No one was gravely hurt. Mr. Longbottom, Miss Granger, and Mr. Weasley are fine and have gone home for the summer.” Severus paused before studying Harry. The teen was smiling in relief and sitting relaxed. "I will have to leave again tomorrow morning with Lupin. I don't know when I will be able to come back again, so I'd like to discuss Rose. Explaining the current situation can wait until breakfast, if you are willing?"

Harry nodded. "Okay."

Silas wasn't happy about the deal. He wanted to know what was going on now. Rose could wait in his opinion, but this time Harry ignored him completely. 

Harry still felt guilty about lying to his teacher by keeping the new information about hearing two of his alters in his head secret. Though now that he thought about it, he was reluctant to tell Severus. What if he thought he was getting worse and gave up on him? Harry bit his lip and decided not to mention the voices in his head.

"What do you think about her?"

"Well, she comes Out when I feel really strongly,” he hedged.

"Yes, but not just any emotion,” Severus said evenly, his dark eyes never leaving Harry’s. The tension in his hands and jaw told Harry that his teacher was uncomfortable. That made Harry blush and feel mildly hurt, though he had no idea why. "When you feel strong affection, Rose comes Out."

Harry nodded and looked away. "So that means I feel affection for Neville, you, and Remus since she comes Out around them."

"This is understandable and nothing you should be ashamed or uncomfortable about." Severus took a deep breath. "Harry, after all we've been through, it is no surprise that we've come to care about each other's welfare."

Harry's head snapped around and he stared in shock. "You… you care about me?"

"Of course I do." Severus sneered with a biting glare that Harry ignored. "Merlin knows I wouldn't be going through so much trouble otherwise."

"Thank you,” he said softly, meaning it with all his heart. Severus brushed away the gratitude and Harry's smile widened.

"Don't grin like that,” his teacher snapped and quickly pushed the conversation on. "Rose was born long before you came to Hogwarts. She likes to cook, garden, clean, and please the people she cares about. What does that tell you?"

"I guess…" Harry bit his lip and looked down at his lap. "I guess it means I care about the Dursleys?"

"Not exactly,” Severus reassured softly, relaxing now that the hardest part (for him anyway) was over. "It means you _wanted_ to love them. You wanted them to love you, but you couldn't reconcile that with the way they treated you so you pushed Rose away."

“Oh," Harry said sadly and sat silently for a long minute. When he looked back up at Severus, his eyes were large and wet with tears. "Why didn't they like me?"

Severus sat forward and held that wounded gaze earnestly. "I believe they hate all things that have to do with magic. It frightens them and they get angry when frightened. They would have treated anyone else magical the same way. It wasn't _you_ that they didn’t like, Harry. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded. That did make him feel a bit better.

"Do you have any questions about Rose?" Severus prompted when the silence stretched too long.

"Why does she like cooking and gardening so much?" he asked curiously.

"I believe your Aunt asked you to cook the meals and tend the garden so she wouldn't have to. Rose is pleased to do things for others, so she would have been quite happy to do what your Aunt asked of her."

"So I wasn't locked in my cupboard for days and days?" Harry was amazed. "How come I remember being in there all that time then?"

"You made up memories,” Severus answered easily. "This particular defense mechanism would no longer work so well if you knew about having alters, so your mind came up with excuses and elaborated memories you could access to keep you from noticing anything was wrong."

"Oh… What about being deaf?" Harry asked. "Why would Rose be deaf if all she does is cook and garden and stuff? Wouldn't she need to hear to be able to do what my Aunt wanted?"

"That is something you need to work out on your own, though I will say this. You would not have pushed away all that Rose is if it were not painful."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. Doing chores, even if no one else did them, isn't so bad. Why would I create Rose to do that stuff? I could do it without her, couldn't I? But I didn't and she's deaf… so what made it painful didn't affect her anymore,” Harry realized. "But it would still be painful to me. That means that…" He sighed sadly and ran his hands through his hair shakily. "She was saying things. Worse than I remember them saying. Things that really hurt. So Rose is deaf and still able to do what was asked of her because she couldn’t hear the hateful words… But she could feel it, couldn't she? She's an empath so she could feel their dislike and that's even worse than hearing it."

"I don't know how that worked,” Severus admitted. "I have not seen how she acted among your relatives." He refused to say family. "But around me she is quite perceptive. She might have been ignoring it or turning down her power so she only skimmed the surface. You will have to discover the details on your own."

"Okay." Harry smiled. He felt confident he could do this.

"It is getting late and we will be getting up early. Should I have Omi wake you or do you think you can get up on your own? I'd prefer to have our talk before the Mutt and Wolf are awake."

"I think Omi should wake me,” Harry admitted. They rose and walked tiredly up the stairs. It had been a long day for both of them.

"Goodnight, Harry,” Severus said as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Goodnight, sir,” the boy answered sleepily before turning in the opposite direction and heading to his room. He never remembered actually getting in bed, already fast asleep.

_-Harry's remembering dream that night-_

The cupboard was dark. He hated it when it was dark. He stood and paced in the small space just to get the cramps out of his legs. He wondered when he'd get his light bulb back. A burst of laughter from the kitchen reached his ears. He huddled down, tears falling from his eyes. He wanted to be with them. He wanted to laugh. He'd be oh so good, he knew it! This time he wouldn't do one thing wrong! He'd be perfect!

It was a long time ago, many days, since he had been moved from Dudley's room to the cupboard. He was let out sometimes to use the bathroom. Sometimes he made messes and would cry so hard cause he knew that was bad and he wanted to be good more than anything in the world. 

Sad and lonely, he huddled in the dark and reluctantly fell asleep.

When he woke up, his light bulb was back. He smiled tearfully and hugged himself. He’d been good! They might forgive him soon! It took all his strength to squeeze his teeth together and not shout a thank you to anyone that might here. He had to be quiet when he was in the cupboard. Giddy with happiness, he easily ignored his full bladder and pulled out a book he had saved from the trash. Dudley didn't much like books.

He was only on the third page when he heard someone coming down the hall outside his cupboard. He shoved the book back under his cot just as the door was yanked open. 

"Boy, get out here and help me,” the very, very tall woman ordered him.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia,” he answered nervously as he scrambled to do as she told him. He repeated over and over again to himself that he wouldn't do bad this time.

"You can't help like that, idiot! Go get cleaned up quickly!"

He blushed with shame, horrified that he was already messing up, and rushed to the bathroom. Twenty minutes later all the grime and dust was scrubbed from his skin. He returned to the kitchen and basked in the morning sunlight that was filling the homey little room. Bowls and ingredients were set out on the counters and cook books were lying open on the table. Christmas decorations hung on the window and refrigerator.

"Go over there and stir the cake batter,” Petunia demanded with a harsh glare.

Harry smiled happily and rushed to do as she said. "Okay."

The chair was placed up against the cabinets and he climbed up on it carefully. Once he was steady, he reached for the huge bowl and long wooden spoon. The batter was thick and it took all his strength to stir, but he was determined. He would be good, but his happiness about helping his Aunt and being out of the cupboard was soon killed.

"Is it too hard?" Petunia asked cuttingly. "You're so weak. Just like your parents.” She took the bowl away and gave him carrots to cut. She showed him what size she wanted them and left him to it. 

Harry was stunned. He hadn't ever known his parents, 'sept sometimes he had a bad dream and thought he could hear a woman in it. His Aunt and Uncle had never talked to him about them before. He had always wanted to ask, but he had never had a chance. He cut the carrots carefully, biting his lip hard as he concentrated on wielding the huge knife that his hand hardly fit around. It took all his strength to cut through the carrot and it was a jagged, ugly cut.

"You're so stupid!" Petunia screeched. "Can't you do anything right, you miserable little brat? It's no wonder your parents didn't want you! They could hardly take care of themselves, drunk and stupid as they were, but even they were smart enough to wish you were never born! It was the worst day of your mother’s life. She wished you were dead every day. Maybe that’s why they became disgusting drunks. Because they couldn’t get rid of you! You’re like a parasite! I bet their glad that car hit them, killing them, just to get away from you!” 

Harry was trying hard not to cry. He made his eyes as wide as they could go to stop the tears from falling out. It was bad to cry. His Aunt yanked the knife and carrots away. It cut him on the palm but not deeply. He hid it and stood still, head bowed so she wouldn't see his distress. He didn't want to go back to the cupboard.

_They didn’t want me! They hated me! I made them bad, too!_ His mind raced, terrified and numb with horror.

"Can you do this, little boy?" Petunia asked with cruel sweetness. "Or is this even too much for you?"

His shaking hands accepted the bag of beans. He watched silently as she showed him how to break off the ends and then break the bean in half. The ends went into the trash while the beans went into a bowl. His Aunt watched him for long minutes and he trembled with fear at doing it wrong. Sweat poured from him and made him sticky. She noticed his bleeding hand and yanked the beans away.

"You idiot! How dare you get our food dirty with your filthy blood! You're a worthless freak!" she ranted hysterically. "You should have died with your worthless parents instead of coming here to burden us! No one wants a good for nothing like you, boy!"

Tears fell helplessly down his anguished face. He was bad, bad, bad! He was bad and his parents were bad and that meant wasn't able to be good, but he must be good because no one wanted bad boys and he didn't want to be alone. He didn't want to be in the cupboard no more! A vicious slap flung him from the chair and he landed on the ground painfully.

"Don't you dare cry! It's your own fault, you filthy little brat!" she screamed at him.

Screaming, he ran away even though he lay still on the kitchen floor. Everything drained away. All the pain, all sound, everything confusing. All that was left was the need to be good. 

Looking up at the woman, her mouth was moving but no sound was escaping. That was alright, there was a new way to hear. Feelings of disgust radiated from the woman. Watching carefully so she knew to take the bowl and masher, she watched the woman's movements and began mashing the potatoes. She did the job happily and in amazement she felt the woman's disgust fade to annoyance and sharp dislike.

That was good. Feeling the woman's hurtful feelings was better than being ignored and alone, and feelings could change, she already learned that. Mashing the potatoes had made the woman's feelings a bit better, so if she did more she could make the woman happy and that made her very happy. 

Satisfied and hopeful, the new Harry continued to work, very careful to keep the blood from her still bleeding hand away from the food. She never heard what else Petunia had to say and the lack of reaction made the hurtful feelings mellow a bit more as boredom set in and they both became focused on her task. Very, very happy, Rose continued to mash.

**Chapter end.**

**Well, what did you think of the chapter?**


	19. Tests of Trust

**Tests of Trust**

Harry entered the parlor with a yawn and curled up comfortably on the couch before becoming aware of his surroundings. His eyes widened when he saw Severus standing by the fireplace, pouring a glass of liquor. His teacher had drinks occasionally, but never during a therapy session and never before dinner that he had seen. On top of that, he poured a lot more than he usually did.

**This is going to be bad,** Silas murmured worriedly.

"Things have gotten complicated,” Severus spoke as he took his seat. "But I'll do my best to explain… Black is believed to have kidnapped you from Hogwarts. In truth, I plotted with Lupin and set up Black's escape. While Lupin and I pretended to search for you, we were really mudding the waters."

"But why?" Harry asked nervously.

Severus turned his glass absently in his hands and took a large sip. "I have come to the realization that the Headmaster isn't infallible. I followed him blindly because he gave me a second chance and promised me redemption. However, although I accepted his decisions over my life, I could not accept what he was doing to yours."

**About time,** Silas said smugly.

"What do you mean?" Harry whispered, not at all understanding what his teacher or alter was trying to say.

"He was going to send you back to the Dursleys. I couldn't allow that. Especially after I was sure he understood the consequences of returning to that house."

Silas had become really silent. Harry almost couldn't feel him anymore and that that worried him. He knew something was coming that wasn't going to be good. He drew his knees toward his chest and stared with impossibly wide eyes. Severus couldn't bring himself to look into them. He knew most likely he was about to destroy everything they had built, but he owed it to the boy to explain.

"Harry… When I was young, I joined the Death Eaters." He set his glass aside and revealed his dreadful tattoo. "I was weak and wanted more strength to prove my worth to the world. I was not prepared for the… extremes the Dark Lord went to. The truth of becoming his servant was nothing as I imagined it would be. In a few short months, I ran to the other side, to Dumbledore. He interrogated me and made sure I spoke truth when I claimed to want out, but instead of granting me asylum as I was hoping, he asked me if I would be a spy for him. I agreed, thinking I would be able to make up for the wrongs I had committed. That is when I began my studies in psychology and perfected Occlumency – the art of keeping your mind locked away from others. I needed these things to become Dumbledore's spy."

"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked breathlessly. Silas was still silent, absorbing everything Severus was saying.

"I am aware of the mistake I made in not telling you about Black,” Severus said grimly. His head hung slightly, his hair curtained his face, casting it in shadow. ”I cannot explain your present situation without revealing mine…" He took another long sip, looking anywhere except at the trembling boy across from him. "I trusted in Dumbledore to do what is right. He was fighting against the horrors of the Dark Lord and had defeated the Dark Lord previous. I had no reason to doubt him and every reason to doubt myself. Until last week with the Dementors.”

“What… What did he do?” Harry asked faintly.

Severus lifted his head and he stared almost desperately at Harry. “The night Demon woke, I brought you, your friends, and Black back to the castle unconscious. Dumbledore was in the infirmary with Professor McGonagall. A few students were injured and Pomfrey was busy. He took us to a separate room and made it into a sickroom. He questioned me there. I told him that the storm was natural and had come in over the forest. He released me to tend to the Slytherins and to sleep. The next night, Dumbledore came to me in my rooms. He questioned me directly about your mood swings in November and the truth behind your many detentions. It seems Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley told him about your odd behavior in the Shack." Severus could no longer look into Harry’s eyes and looked away, holding his head in profile, the hook in his nose prominent. "At this point, I saw no reason to outright lie to the man. I was uncertain of my motivations in concealing it at all. I saw no other recourse. I told him about your condition but kept him ignorant of your alters besides Silas and Gabriel."

Harry blinked dumbly. He wasn't sure how he felt about the headmaster. He trusted him in a vague way, mostly just grateful to be at Hogwarts, but he definitely didn't want him knowing that he was mentally unstable. Would Dumbledore expel him? Separate him from his friends? Take him from Gryffindor Tower? Despite his unhappiness at hearing that the headmaster knew, he was shocked by the strength of Silas’s rage.

**Traitor!** he hissed furiously. Unlike Harry, he understood the implications of the powerful, manipulative wizard knowing about them and felt utterly betrayed. This was _a thousand_ times worse than when the professor kept them in the dark about Black. For _three years_ Silas had done _everything_ he could to keep their condition secret from the headmaster and it had all been for NOTHING!

Harry was feeling a bit dizzy, but Severus' voice drew him away from the confusing turmoil in his head. Gabriel waking also helped. His confidence and calm counteracted the Slytherin's boiling emotions and steadied Harry.

Severus voice was deep and unusually rough as he explained; "I knew the Headmaster did not hold your best interest at heart when he said he did not want me to help you heal. I decided then to help you hide from him, but that became more urgent when he met Boy."

Harry's face drained of blood. "No."

"Pomfrey and I convinced him Boy wasn't an alter,” Severus quickly reassured. "Instead he believes it was a very temporary condition that would be gone forever once you recovered from the Dementors' attack. He thinks you were merely trapped in your worst memory. I had hoped that this would delay the headmaster, but he was still determined to take you to the Dursley’s, even while you were in such a condition, so Lupin and I helped Black and you escape."

"Why did you tell him about my condition?" Harry asked numbly, repeating Silas's cold words. It seemed that since Harry could hear his two alters, they couldn't come Out like they normally could and therefore couldn't talk for themselves.

"I was not aware of the extent of his callousness toward your life. I honestly believed he would take care of you,” Severus answered softly. "Dumbledore has lived a very long time. All his life he has combated evil men, preserving life, but there comes a time when a righteous goal becomes more important than the means to achieve it. I believe Dumbledore has reached this point. His judgment cannot be trusted."

Harry was too confused to form words, but Silas was insistent so he mouthed the questions his alter was demanding he speak. "If you didn't know he couldn’t be trusted, why did you hide me last summer? Why did you keep everything secret during school? Why didn't you tell the bastard who Demon really was? What if you're lying and still sit in the old tyrant's pocket?"

"I am not,” Severus said firmly, too upset to really notice Harry's odd wording. "I wouldn't, Harry. I want you to get better. I want you to be whole again. I am doing all I can to see to that."

**Sure you are,** Silas hissed furiously.

"Am I never going back to Hogwarts?" Harry asked shakily.

"You will attend next year. You will just have to be careful."

Silas yelled, **What the hell can we do to stop him from using Gabriel?**

"How can I be careful when he knows?" Harry asked tearfully, his hand rising to his pounding head.

**Hey! I wouldn't let Dumbledore manipulate me!** Gabriel protested fiercely. **And I'll tell the man so myself!**

**Idiot!** Silas spat furious. A confrontation was the worst thing that could happen! There would be no escaping the nets and strings the old man could spin around them if that were to happen.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Severus held his eyes. He was very disturbed by what he saw in those emerald depths. Harry looked awful and in serious pain, not the emotional kind either.

**I knew he'd betray us.** Silas was pissed. **He's been a Death Eater all this time. Maybe he's only pretending to help the Light. He might be preparing to sacrifice us to his true master.**

**Don't be ridiculous,** Gabriel growled. **You've been against Dumbledore all this time! You should be pleased that Snape's fully working against him to protect us. Not that we need protection from the headmaster. What can he possible do to us; especially now that we're on guard?**

**Protect us?** Silas laughed unpleasantly. **He's handed the bastard our greatest weakness. This could all be Dumbledore's plan. Make us trust sweet Severus and we'll be a good little weapon against evil.**

**Who's the moron now?** Gabriel yelled. **Which is it? Snape is on Voldemort's side or Dumbledore's? Make up your damn mind!**

**Well, it's obvious he's not on ours! That's all I need to know,** Silas spat back.

"SHUT UP!" Harry screamed and ran from the room, tears falling from his eyes. He sprinted to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus stared after him deeply troubled. Something was going on and he was beginning to be suspicious. With a furious yell, he threw his glass against the wall. It shattered. Harry was more vulnerable than ever. He was most definitely not fine if what he suspected was true, and now the boy could no longer trust him.

He sat tiredly, back stiff. He'd have to coach Lupin. Harry couldn't be allowed to continue giving life to his alters. He grimaced. He didn't trust anyone to handle Harry's condition correctly. The damn Wolf would be walked all over by Silas and the others, but what choice did he have? He couldn't bring anyone else in to help Harry. The teen wouldn't trust a stranger, not for a very long time after this.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?" Sirius ran in the room, blue eyes wild and furious. Remus was right on his heals.

"We had an argument,” Severus answered evenly. "He'll require space for a few hours. I recommend you give it to him before you smother him with your dog drool."

"Don't tell me how to treat my godson!" Sirius growled. His whole body vibrated with the need to attack and only Remus' hands on his shoulders prevented him from violent action.

He had been shocked and hurt when he’d heard all about Harry's first two years at Hogwarts with the Stone and then the Basilisk. (Severus had asked that Sirius be kept from the truth of Harry's mental condition. Remus had agreed, silently promising himself he'd tell his friend when Sirius became more stable himself.) He couldn't bear to have anything more hurt or upset his godson. He didn't care what Remus said about Snape being the only one there helping Harry and knowing what was best for him because of it.

Severus strode past the two without another word. He just couldn't handle them just then. Sirius opened his mouth to provoke him, but again Remus stopped him. Sirius spun and glared at his friend. He had missed Moony painfully bad while in Azkaban, but he wouldn't let his friend prevent him from protecting Harry.

"Please, Sirius,” Remus pleaded. "Harry is fragile. Don't push him. Let him come to you. Otherwise you might push him away from you forever."

All of Sirius' anger washed away at this thought and was replaced with fear. He'd go insane if Harry hated him. He wouldn't be able to handle it. He also remembered the broken boy he had spent four days with and Moony was certain that it was Snivellus that had helped Harry through that.

“Alright," he promised. "I'll be careful."

"Thank you, Padfoot." Remus hugged the man and Sirius hugged him back just as fiercely. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"You aren't staying for breakfast?" Sirius pouted.

"I can't." Remus smiled. "It's getting late."

Sirius grinned a lopsided smile. "See you."

"See you,” Remus agreed and followed in Severus' footsteps. He stepped out the front door and apparated away from a point only a few hours away from London.

Sirius sighed, standing alone in front of the door. He jumped a mile when the elf popped into the space at his side. Sirius glared at it, but the elf didn't even twitch. 

"Breakfast is served, sir." 

It spoke rather well for an elf. Sirius wrinkled his face in disgust. Trust Snape to have a cultured house-elf.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was so confused. Dumbledore was trying to use him, was willing to hurt him? Why? And where did Snape really stand? What was he supposed to do now? He didn't understand any of it and his head hurt really badly, though his alters had fallen blessedly silent since he had screamed.

**Harry, I'm sorry,** Silas offered. He was protective of his Host and hated the thought he had pained him unnecessarily.

Gabriel added in a sheepish voice, **We won't fight anymore.**

Harry nodded, but couldn't speak to them yet. He was huddled in his bed, waiting for his headache to go away. It got better, but it wasn't leaving. Groaning, he rolled onto his back. Silas asked if he were alright and offered to explain why he had gotten so upset. Harry told him to go ahead. Maybe if he understood the pain would stop.

So Silas explained his suspicions that the headmaster had purposely set up the confrontation over the Stone and the fight in the Chamber of Secrets; that the man was just looking for a weapon and believed Gabriel to be exactly what he had been hoping for. Silas told him of his fears that Dumbledore would use them by forcing Gabriel Out to do his bidding, thus getting them hurt or worse playing in his games of power.

When Harry asked why he would do all this, Gabriel piped up saying he wanted to know this as well. Silas explained the basics of politics and how some people did what they did because they saw it as games of power and would do anything to remain top dog, so to speak. Harry wasn't convinced. He couldn't imagine a mindset like that.

Gabriel could. He knew the thrill of combating, of placing your skill against another's. He knew the thirst to win, but he wasn't sure Dumbledore fell into this category. Until he made his own decision, he was willing to go with Silas. Outnumbered, Harry had no choice but to believe the headmaster had dark motivations.

"Why isn't anyone who they're supposed to be?" he asked sadly. He felt very small and very alone as he fell into an exhausted sleep despite it being barely ten in the morning.

**xXxXxXx**

Dumbledore was not deluding himself. He knew they had lost the trail. He had no choice and finally contacted the most skilled and loyal of the Order of the Phoenix. It was sooner than he had hoped, but they were needed again. He ordered them to setup patrols. Hopefully they would catch sight of Sirius and Harry and find a fresh trail. The Ministry was incompetent, but the extra eyes looking for Sirius Black helped. Unlike his Order members, he had told them nothing about Harry.

If the Ministry got wind of The-Boy-Who-Lived being abducted from Hogwarts infirmary while he was present, they'd have the ammunition they needed to finally remove him from his position. The School Board was corrupt and chafed under the conditions he had set that kept them in check and had been plotting his removal as the events last year proved. Fudge would let it happen, too stupid to realize it was evil that was manipulating him. Besides all that, if the public got wind that Harry was missing, they'd panic and Dumbledore would prevent that for as long as possible.

"Headmaster!" Mrs. Weasley cried as the ancient wizard stepped from her floo. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, no." Dumbledore chuckled and smiled cheerfully. "I just came to have a few words with Ron, if that wouldn't be a problem?"

"No, of course not." Mrs. Weasley smiled nervously. "He's outside with his brothers. Is he in trouble?"

"He is safe, Molly,” he assured her. "I just have post from Harry for him. I restricted Harry's owl use since Hedwig is so identifiable."

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley relaxed and went to fetch her son. Ron arrived shortly after and Dumbledore managed to get the boy alone in the living room.

"Headmaster?" Ron frowned.

"Good morning, Ron." Dumbledore smiled. "You are not in trouble. Quite the contrary. I have news, but I need to have your word you will not share what I'm about to tell you. Not even with your parents."

“Okay," Ron agreed excitedly. He loved adventure and it was great to know things that his family didn't for once.

"Harry has gone missing, but do not worry. I do not think his life is in danger. If he contacts you, I need you to tell me immediately,” Dumbledore explained solemnly.

"Alright." Ron frowned. "Are you sure he's alright?"

"I am.” Dumbledore stated confidently. "I think he just ran off to escape his family for a little while."

"Yeah, those Muggles are pretty awful." Ron nodded and accepted the glass orb the headmaster handed to him.

"Just break that if you hear from him." Dumbledore smiled and patted his shoulder. "If you can, find out where he is so that I can send people to fetch him."

“Okay," Ron agreed.

"Thank you, my boy."

Dumbledore said his goodbyes to the family and flooed back to Hogsmead. From there, he apparated toward the Granger's to give Hermione the same instructions he had given Ron. He wondered if he should go to the Longbottom's as well. Harry and Neville seemed to have developed a close relationship. After a minute's thought, he decided not to, certain Harry was closer to Ron and Hermione and would contact them before anyone else.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke and saw that the sun was setting. He rubbed tears from his eyes and frowned. He'd dreamed of Rose again, but unlike Rose he couldn't be as complacent about the Dursleys’ emotions. It hurt to realize just how right he was when he said his family hated him. There was literally not an ounce of care, compassion, or concern in any of them for him, and the memories of the blazing love for Dudley made that contrast even more painful.

Angry, he slid from his bed. It wasn't fair. Outside he was facing a world suddenly confusing and uncertain and inside he was facing something painful. There was no place for him. Gabriel tried to cheer him up and Silas assured him that they didn't need anyone, but Harry ignored them both.

Omi was happy to see him and served him a large dinner. Harry laughed ruefully but accepted the 'punishment' for not eating breakfast or lunch. It took him a while to eat it all, but he managed. The little elf was very happy with him and offered to get him desert, but Harry held his over-full stomach and begged a reprieve.

"I will make it and you can eat it when's you are ready for it,” Omi offered.

"Thank you, Omi." Harry smiled at him. "Where is Sirius?"

"Here, sir,” Omi answered with a frown.

Harry blinked. "Then why didn't he eat with me? Did you tell him dinner was ready?"

"I did, sir." Omi nodded with a hurt look in his eye. "I not neglect Master's guest!"

"No! I didn't think you would!" Harry assured hastily. "I just wondered, is all. Where is he?"

"His room, sir. I will show you."

Harry followed the house-elf upstairs. They turned right toward Severus' room. The convict's room was at the very end of the hall, two doors away from the game room. The elf gestured and Harry approached to knock when he heard a high-pitched whining. Eyes wide, he knocked hard, calling for Sirius to answer him. The whining fell silent, but no one answered. Worried, Harry pushed open the door.

"Sirius?" Hh called tentatively. "I'm coming in. Are you alright?"

The room was smaller than Harry's but not by much. It had a bed, dresser, window, and fireplace with a recliner chair in front of it. He couldn't see Sirius anywhere, so he took a few more steps into the room. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he turned to see a huge black dog curled up in the corner. Harry froze on seeing it. The dog crouched down, staring into his eyes, and its body blurred. Harry cried out and jumped back, eyes wide with fear as he stared at the man now standing in the corner.

"Harry?" Sirius rasped, his face was taunt and his eyes were filled with pain. "Harry? Is that you?"

"Y-y-yeah…" Harry took several deep breaths and managed a shaky smile.

**He's an animagus,** Silas supplied. **A witch or wizard who masters the transformation between human form and intrinsic animal form.**

Sirius shook his head and the haunted expression washed away to be replaced with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry about that."

"Are you okay?" Harry asked worriedly.

"Yeah…" Sirius ran his hands through his hair. "It's better when I'm focused on something. Being here… alone… I just… forgot I was free, ya know?"

Harry didn't, but he nodded anyway.

"Are you feeling better?" Sirius asked uncomfortably.

"Yeah." Harry blushed, just now realizing that Sirius wouldn't have broken down if he had kept him company. "Why don't I show you around? There's an awesome game room."

"Really?" Sirius looked shocked. "Why would Snivellus have a game room in his house?"

"I don't know." Harry shied away from the subject of Snape as it caused cold anger to radiate from Silas. "Come on."

Sirius followed him to the game room and was delighted with the dueling game where you had to aim at projected enemies with the fake wand. The convict's aim was rather good. Harry played against him and lost every time, but made up for it by kicking Sirius' butt at Snitch Hording.

"Sirs? Would you like to come down for some desert?" Omi appeared a few hours later.

"Sure." Harry smiled. "Thank you, Omi."

Sirius laughed as the little elf flapped his ears in delight before disappearing. The two made their way down to the dinning room and indulged in several pieces of delicious chocolate cake. Omi almost wouldn't let Sirius have any since he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, but Harry convinced him that Sirius would eat properly tomorrow and it would be alright to splurge this once. The elf caved, but only because he was so fond of Harry.

**xXxXxXx**

The next day Remus arrived for breakfast and said he'd be staying for a few days. Sirius and Harry were both happy about the werewolf's arrival. Harry had fun with Sirius, but the man was unstable and too energetic. It made Harry nervous even though he had fun with the man. And Sirius' feelings of being trapped were growing by the hour and having Moony around would keep him distracted.

Remus smiled and managed to secure Harry a few hours by himself as he entertained Sirius. He knew he was supposed to talk to Harry but really didn't feel up to the task. Just knowing that other people were looking out at Remus from behind Harry's emerald eyes disturbed him. He wanted to help, but he knew he was not up for the task. He wanted to have a few more 'lessons' with Severus before he approached Harry about his condition.

The Potions Master was staying at Snape Manor and wouldn't be coming back to the house. Not as long as Harry was there and they were at odds. He had to be within reach of Dumbledore in any case while the search was going on. They couldn't afford to raise the headmaster's suspicions now. Not when they had just about gotten away with the 'kidnapping'.

That night during dinner, Harry asked if he could contact his friends. Remus sadly told him that it wasn't safe. Hedwig could be tracked and Ron and Hermione could possibly tell Dumbledore anything he wrote. Harry protested. He felt fairly confident that if he explained his situation (though he didn't know how he'd do that without telling them about his condition) they would understand and keep his location secret. It wasn't like he even knew his location since the portal-barrier spell transported them to the inside of a house he had never seen the location of.

**They aren't trustworthy, Harry,** Silas argued.

"They wouldn't tell!" Harry insisted. "They're my friends."

"Harry, they wouldn't mean to betray you,” Remus soothed, having no idea Harry wasn’t talking to him.

**Hermione looks up to authority. She would disagree with you hiding from the headmaster,** Silas argued convincingly. **Remember how she turned you in about the Firebolt?**

"Ron wouldn't. He can keep a secret,” Harry said stubbornly, very reluctantly allowing Silas his point.

**Unless he was angry. He would not keep your secret then. And he might be mad still about… well, about my attitude toward them in the Shack and the whole Scabbers/Pettigrew thing.**

"I have an idea!" Sirius said excitedly, eyes practically glowing. "We can spell a parchment so that you can write on it and the matching parchment will show what you write and they can write back to you. That way Hedwig only has to take a single trip."

Remus shook his head. "That doesn't solve the possible danger of Harry's friends revealing the information he writes to the Headmaster.”

"We can test them!" Sirius crowed. "It will be beautiful! You tell them you're with me in… Egypt or something. Tell them each a different location and Remus will find out if the headmaster sends anyone there to check for us. Then we'll know who kept Harry's secret and who didn't!"

"I don't know…" Remus stalled.

"Come on, Moony! This will be a piece of cake! The Marauder's are back in business!" He whooped and ran from the room, only to run right back and drag Remus after him since he didn't have a wand and needed his friend to spell the parchments. 

Harry followed happily, glad he could talk to his friends. It would definitely help him keep his mind off things.

It took Sirius and Remus all night to spell the three parchments and their mates. Not only did the two men have to remember all the details such a spelling would need, Remus also wanted to make absolutely sure that only Neville, Ron, and Hermione would be able to read the parchment and that the paper couldn't be used to find them here at Severus' house.

Harry had long ago fallen asleep in a window seat. Books were strewn everywhere around the men. Sirius yelled triumphantly when the parchments worked the way they wanted them to, and Remus hit him for being too loud. He would wake Harry! Sirius grinned sheepishly and lifted his godson, carrying him to his room. Remus and Sirius went to bed as well, hoping for at least a few hours rest before Harry had them up.

**xXxXxXx**

It was just after lunch and the two adults were yawning. Harry was wide awake and excited. The six parchments were sitting in front of him. He took three and addressed the first to Neville. He wrote a long letter explaining all that had happened on the 6th and what was happening now. Not even Silas could protest, though he wasn't happy about it. It wasn't that he didn't trust Neville; he just thought it unnecessary for _anyone_ to know where they were. Gabriel grumbled that he was paranoid. Harry ignored them. He had learned that sometimes that was just the best way to go.

Ron and Hermione's letter were harder to write, but Sirius helped him with them. In the end, he wrote:

_Dear Ron,_

_Hey! I just wanted to write and let you know that I'm okay. I don't know if you know or not, but Sirius took me away from the Dursley's. I'm having a blast! We're in Egypt right now and you were right. The pyramids are awesome! I can't say more right now, but write me back using this parchment. I’ll be able to see what you write on my half of the parchment. That way we don't have to wait for owls and stuff. Maybe we can decide on a time to write each other so that it will be like talking and we can respond to each other instantly!_

_Hope your summer's going good,_

_Harry_

_P.S. Please don't tell anyone you've heard from me. I really don't want to go back to the Dursley's. You know how bad they are and I'm perfectly safe with Sirius. You know he's innocent._

Hermione's letter was identical except he told her he was in Paris and that she was right about the Eiffel Tower. He was about to send Hedwig with the three letters when Sirius had another brilliant idea. He thought they shouldn't use Hedwig at all and instead use birds native to the countries Harry was saying he was in. With a sigh, Remus went to fetch one Egyptian and one French bird, but Harry went ahead and sent Hedwig off with Neville's letter. He was too impatient to wait and, really, his best friend wouldn't tell anyone.

Harry watched the match of the parchment he had sent to Neville. Sirius told him it would take a while for Hedwig to find and then fly to the boy, but Harry couldn't help it. He really missed his best friend. Ten minutes went by and then half an hour. Remus arrived with the required birds and they flew off after Harry secured the two letters and gave them their instructions. When he turned back, Harry saw that Neville had written back.

He scoped up the three parchments, yelled his gratitude, and ran up to his room to read Neville's letter in private.

_Harry,_

_Thank you for writing! I was worried even though Remus wrote me a quick note explaining you were fine and with Sirius, but he didn't explain why it was okay you were with him! I mean, as far as I knew, he was still a murderer! I can’t believe he was innocent all this time. That must have been really, really horrible. And Scabbers was the real murderer! He lived with us for two years at Hogwarts! I don't think I'll ever feel completely safe there again._

_I have a lot to tell you. While you were in a coma after the storm, I met a girl. She said she was there to help me and told me I was an Earth-elemental wizard. Crazy huh? I've never even heard of such a thing. Then she introduced me to a boy and he just appeared. I was shocked! They look completely real, she even touched me and she was warm, but they are really phantoms! They said their names are Rowena and Salazar and they developed from the Founder's impressions or something, but they are really Hogwarts itself. You know all those jokes about the castle being alive and moving stairs on purpose? Guess they were right. You believe me, don't you Harry?_

_I can't believe Dumbledore would want you to go back to the Dursley's even after Professor Snape told him about Silas and Gabriel. That's horrible! I promise I won't tell him where you are or that you're writing to me. I don't know what he's thinking. I'm sorry Professor Snape told him. I'm sure he feels really bad about it now. He must feel as betrayed as you do. You have to be careful with Dumbledore. It scared me to death when Gabriel just charged down there when Ron got attacked and then actually went into the Whomping Willow when he didn't even know what was going on or what could be waiting for him on the other side. I don't want Dumbledore to put you in that kind of situation again. You could be hurt!_

_Grandmother is calling me. I have to go. I'll be back around nine. Will you be able to talk – write – to me then? This is really cool, Harry. How did you find parchment that does this? I've never heard anything like it! When Grandmother looked at it, she thought it was blank! I told her that I asked you for parchment since I spilled ink on all of mine. Do you think we'll get to see each other at all during the summer? I hope so._

_Neville_

**You wouldn't have been hurt!** Gabriel huffed while Silas smirked, happy Neville saw things his way. **I had everything under control.** Wanting to knock Silas' smug look from his face he continued, **And he also agrees that Snape doesn't mean us harm. It was an accident**.

**Accident, my ass,** Silas sneered, no longer smug. **This is the second time he's fucked us over. And you don't care either way! You're just arguing to argue!**

"Drop it,” Harry ordered them both. "Sy, have you ever heard of this?" he asked pointed to the part where Neville told him about Elemental wizards and the phantoms.

**No.** Silas frowned. **I bet there might be something in the library here. We should check it out.**

Harry nodded. He grabbed the three parchments up and took them with him as he went to the library. Silas taught him the charm that would bring him any book that had the key words he said. It took a few tries, but Harry eventually said it right and had only two books floating over to him. One was locked, the other wasn't. Silas encouraged him to break the lock on the book and read that one first, but Harry didn't know how to do that and didn't want to take the time to learn. He instead turned his attention to the book that he had access to.

His search didn't last long, however, when a glance at his parchments showed him Ron had written.

_Harry, mate! – I can't believe you just took off! I know Sirius is innocent, but that doesn't mean he's trustworthy! What are you going to do? When will you be back? I know the Dursleys are awful, but we're really worried over here (I am anyway; Mum and the others don't even know you're missing!)._

_Hey, Ron!_ Harry wrote back quickly, hoping he was still there.

_Harry? Wow! Where did you get this? It's so cool!_

_Thanks. Sirius made it for me_. Harry smiled and listened to Silas' murmurs on what he should write. _Listen, Dumbledore will send me back to the Dursley’s if he finds me. I'll be back for school, so it's not like I'm ruining my life or anything. Please, Ron. Please don't tell. I've never had an adult to care for me and I'm really happy. I promise we'll write like this a lot, that way you won't have to worry._

_But Dumbledore already came by and told me I had to tell him if you contacted me._

_Ron, please!_ Harry bit his lip, waiting for a response.

_Alright, alright! Don't get twisted outta shape. I won't tell, but if I get in trouble you really owe me big! This is only 'cause I agree completely that the Dursleys are fat pigs!_

_Thanks, Ron!_ Harry smiled happily. He knew he could trust him.

_No problem, mate,_ Ron wrote. _I have to go to dinner, so I'll talk to you later. What time?_

_Tomorrow night before bed,_ Harry decided.

_Alright. Be careful, Harry._

_Bye, Ron!_

Harry rolled up the parchment. "See, Sy? I told you he wouldn't tell."

**For right now,** Silas drawled. **We don't know how trustworthy he'll be in the future.**

Harry shook his head with a bemused smile. Silas was so stubborn! It was a miracle he liked Neville, but Harry was very glad he did. The search for information about Elemental wizards was not going so well. The book he had found was about wizarding myths. It described wizards and witches turning into their Element and having superhuman powers, like they were half magical creatures. Harry shook his head, certain this wasn't Neville.

**All myths are based on truths,** Silas told him amused at Harry's reaction. **I agree that the book most likely exaggerates Elemental wizard's abilities, but it does at least point to this type of magic being real.**

Harry was about to answer when Hermione's parchment began to darken with words.

_Harry James Potter! What are you thinking running away! Headmaster Dumbledore is worried sick and he has lots of people out looking for you! I know you don't like being at the Dursley's, but I'm sure if you had asked he would have let you go. Sirius is your godfather after all, but now that you've run away you've proved neither of you can be trusted. Have you forgotten the Dark Lord? It's dangerous out there, Harry!_

_Hermione, slow down!_ Harry wrote quickly. _I'm alright, really! Sirius can take care of me, he used to be an Auror._

_Harry?_ There was a short pause. _What spell did we use to defeat the troll in first year and who cast it?_

_Ron and a Wingardium Leviosa,_ Harry wrote confidently.

_Harry, where did you get this paper?_

_Sirius made it for me. I have the mate to yours so that we can see what we each write on it. It's spelled so only we can read them._

_Fascinating,_ Hermione wrote and Harry knew she was sincere. _You'll have to show me the spells when I see you again._

_I will,_ Harry promised. _Hermione, the Dursleys are awful. I couldn't go back and Sirius is taking real good care of me. We're being real careful and I can write you all the time to let you know I'm okay. Plus I can even do my homework! The Dursleys always locked my things away 'cause they hate anything magic. Including me. You know that! Dumbledore wouldn't have let me go with Sirius, Hermione. Please, don't tell._

_Maybe he has good reason not to let you go, Harry. There are a lot of things going on that we don't know about. He's only looking out for us. He wants to keep you safe and running around with a man who's been in prison for twelve years with those horrible dementors… Harry, you have to come home._

**Looking out for us?** Silas sneered. **Do you remember the battle over the Stone and in the Chamber of Secrets?**

**She wasn't with us in the Chamber,** Gabriel offered.

"Be quiet,” Harry muttered and wrote, _Hermione, I'm asking you as my friend to keep this secret. I need you to trust me that I'm safer (and happier!) here with Sirius than I ever was with my family. I know I've kept a lot from you and Ron, but I didn't know any other way. Please, Hermione._

_If it's that bad at home, you need to tell Dumbledore! Harry, I'm sorry. I have to do what I think is right. Even if you get mad at me. Just like with the Firebolt. I love you, Harry. I don't want to see you hurt._

_But you were wrong about the Firebolt. There was nothing wrong with it!_

_But there could have been. Harry, I already told. Before I ever wrote you back. I'm sorry._

**She's been writing us to keep us in one place, that bitch!** Silas hissed.

"She's just looking out for me,” Harry argued tiredly and wrote his goodbye. _Hermione, I'll see you when school starts. I understand why you thought you had to tell, but I can't write you again. See you and be careful. This parchment will catch on fire in a minute._

_Harry, wait!_

Harry didn't. He lifted his wand and said the words to light the paper on fire. Because his was the master copy, anything he did to it would happen to the other. He watched it burn and sighed. He wished she could have trusted him a little more, but really he didn't blame her. She had no idea of the seriousness of the situation and it was because he hadn't explained anything to her. Maybe he would be brave enough to tell her and Ron when school started again.

**Chapter end.**


	20. Coming Home

Happy St. Patrick's Day - 2017!

 

**Coming Home**

_I'm sorry about Hermione,_ Neville offered that night at nine (ten o'clock where Harry was). Harry had written all about Ron and Hermione's reactions. _I know she thinks she's doing what's right and that makes it even more frustrating. It's like she can't comprehend a right way that's not hers. I'm glad Ron's keeping your secret. I'm not really surprised though. With all his brothers and being one of the youngest, knowing a secret is probably the best feeling in the world._

**I told you he isn't trustworthy. As soon as it suits him, he will turn on you,** Silas drawled.

_You mean you don't think he's keeping my secret because he's my friend?_ Harry questioned Neville, wondering if Sy was right.

_I don't really know, Harry. I mean he's been your friend much longer than he's been mine. I'm not even sure if they’re really my friends or just nice to me because you are._

_That's not true!_ Harry protested immediately, not able to stand the thought of his friends treating Neville that way.

_Have you seen Professor Snape since you had your fight?_ Neville asked, changing the subject.

_No,_ Harry wrote with a frown, ignoring the spike of sharp dislike from Silas. _He's staying at Snape Manor in England somewhere so that Dumbledore can get a hold of him when he needs to. He did come by to pick up Remus, but I didn't see him. They're looking for me in Paris right now._

_You can't see, but I'm laughing. What do you think they'll do when they don't find you?_

_I don't know. Wait for another clue, I guess._

**Dumbledore will probably go to the Weasley’s,** Silas murmured. **He'll reason that since you wrote Hermione, you would have written Ron as well. This will be the real test.**

Harry dutifully conveyed his alter's guess to his friend.

_That's not good,_ Neville wrote. _Even if Ron doesn't want to tell he may have to._

_What do you mean?_ Harry frowned.

_After the storm, Dumbledore did something when he looked in my eyes. It was like everything got fuzzy and I just started talking about what happened after dinner. I told him about saving Buckbeak (By the way, they still haven't found him.) and almost said Gabriel's name, but the fog in my head lifted a bit and I managed to catch it before I said anything I shouldn't. I was too shocked over everything that had happened to really understand what had happened until much later._

**Sounds like a compulsion of some kind.** Silas was very unhappy and Harry winced at the icy anger radiating from his alter.

_What am I going to do, Neville?_ he asked, hunching over his paper. _Sy and Gabe can't come Out right now, but what if that goes away? What if Dumbledore actually does make Gabriel come Out whenever he wants to?_

**I would only fight if it was really important!** Gabriel protested. **I wouldn't get us hurt!**

**What about with the Stone! If it weren't for Demon, we would have been killed. The same with the dementors. You just ran right into the middle of them!** Silas growled.

**What would you have rather have happened?** **Voldemort achieving Immortality? Sirius dying? You saw what they were doing! They almost ATE his _SOUL_!**

_I don't know, Harry,_ Neville answered. _But what do you mean they can't come Out?_

_Oh._ Harry tried to ignore his alters, but it was hard. _The dementors hurt something. I don't really understand it all, but basically I can hear Silas and Gabriel talking in my head. I guess they can't come Out in exchange for this new communication. Boy can still come Out, but he's the only one and he wasn't drained by Demon. Rose and Demon sleep and don't need Out yet, so I'm not sure what will happen with them._

_How are you with that? I know Rose was close to merging._

_Snape talked to me before I knew about him telling and ever since then I dream about Rose every night. I think I'm starting to understand her better._

_That's good,_ Neville wrote in bigger letters, clearly happy. _Well, I'm tired. Goodnight, Harry, Silas, and Gabriel. Thanks again for telling me about those old myths you found about elementals._

**Hey! Why am I last?** Gabriel demanded.

**Moron,** Silas muttered.

_Goodnight, Neville._ Harry smiled. He rolled the parchment up and picked up Ron's. _Ron! I wrote to Hermione same as I did you with special parchment. She thinks it's not a good idea that I'm out with Sirius and told Dumbledore where I was. I'm somewhere new now, so don't worry. He hasn't caught us yet, but he might come to your house to ask you questions. Be careful, he might try to compel you to tell him about this parchment and take it away. I know that's really hard to believe he'd do that because compulsion is illegal or whatever, but it doesn't hurt to be careful, right? I'll write again tomorrow to see if he came, I'm going to bed. Harry._

**xXxXxXx**

Sirius woke to the sound of piano music. He smiled and buried his face into his pillow as memories rose in his mind. Lily had loved to play. Music was a constant in their lives once Lily was introduced to them. He really missed her and wished she could see that her son was following in her footsteps. Harry played beautifully. He was still clumsy at it, but you could hear the potential, the power in his playing.

He jumped out of bed and threw on some clothes, intent on finding his godson. He didn't have to go far. A few rooms down from his own, he found Harry sitting at a beautiful piano. A handful of other instruments lined the walls, but Sirius couldn't name them. He had no interest in music. In fact, even when it was Lily playing, he could never sit still for very long to listen to it.

"Since when did you play piano?" he asked, coming around to sit beside Harry.

The boy looked up at him with sparkling green eyes. "Severus taught me last summer. I've been practicing at school, but I haven't played for a few weeks."

"Well, you sound good to me." Sirius ruffled the boy's hair playfully. "You hungry?"

"I'll be down later,” Harry promised and turned back to the keys. 

Sirius shook his head and left his godson to his music.

Harry played all morning but came down for lunch. Afterward, he and Sirius played together in the game room until dinner. Remus still hadn't come back and Harry felt guilty about his teacher working so hard to help keep him hidden. He went up to bed with a sigh and reached for his parchments. It was time to see what happened with Ron. He only had to wait a few minutes before words started to appear.

_Harry, mate, you were right! Dumbledore did come and asked me if you wrote. I didn't tell him anything though and he didn't find my parchment. I think I would have if it weren't for the twins. After I got your message, I decided I needed help. I didn't tell them everything though! Just that you were off with Sirius and that Sirius is innocent. I thought it would be harder to convince them to help and keep it secret, but they agreed instantly. – I asked them why and they said that they didn't trust the Dursleys with you. I think they think that they were hurting you more than just locking you up and not feeding you. Is that true? – Anyway, they made a potion to help against the effects of compulsions so I was able to tell Dumbledore the story we thought up. That I got a letter saying you wrote Hermione and that she told where you were, so you didn't feel it safe to write your location again, but that you would write occasionally to let me know you were okay. He asked to see this pretend letter, but I said it caught on fire afterward. He left once I promised to tell him the next time you write._

_Thank you, Ron._ Harry wrote with a smile. _That was bloody brilliant. I don't mind that you asked Fred and George for help. I'm just glad they did and are willing to keep it all secret. I'm sorry for putting you in such a position with your family._

_Don't worry about it!_ Ron wrote back and Harry knew he was grinning. _I'm sorry about Hermione. As smart as she is, she can be pretty stupid too. She didn't see you at the Dursleys or the bars on your window. I'm sure she wouldn't tell if she had. Anyway, she wrote me too. I told her I was still talking to you, but that I wouldn't tell her anything about you. She got mad and now_ **she's** _not talking to_ **me**. _Can you believe it?_

_Yeah. That sounds like her._ Harry laughed, though sadness filled his eyes. He didn't want to fight with his friends and he felt bad that he was coming between Ron and Hermione.

**Don't blame yourself for that,** Gabriel said with a grimace. **Those two are always fighting whether you give them reason to or not.**

**I thought you liked them,** Silas drawled.

**They're alright. They've had my back more than once, but it's stupid to fight for no reason and those two have mastered that ability. They should save their energy for the fights that really matter.**

_You didn't answer me,_ Ron wrote suddenly. _Are the twins right? Did the Dursleys hurt you?_

Harry bit his lip uncertainly and turned to his alters for advice. "Sy? Gabe?"

**There are pros and cons to telling him,** Silas answered slowly. **He might let it slip to someone we don't want to know, but if it becomes well known that our Uncle hurt us, then we might never have to go back. On the other hand, it could raise questions about why we haven't told before now and also alert our enemies to our weaknesses.**

**I don't know,** Gabriel answered. **I don't think it really matters all that much, does it?**

**Moron,** Silas snapped.

_Harry? You there?_ Ron wrote and Harry brought his pen back up to the paper.

_Yeah. I'm here. Look, I don't like thinking about it. But yeah. My Uncle hurt me. I didn't want anyone to know._

_I'm sorry, Harry. I won't tell. I can understand why you didn't say anything, but I wish you told at least 'Mione and me. It must be hard because you're the Boy-Who-Lived and everyone expects you to be strong and pampered._

_Yeah. Something like that,_ Harry wrote in confusion. He was glad Ron had come up with an excuse for him, but he didn't quite understand what his friend was saying about being embarrassed about it because he was the Boy-Who-Lived. He decided to ignore it. _I have to go. Goodnight, Ron, and thanks again._

_Goodnight, mate. When can we write again? I want to hear all about what you and Sirius are getting up to._

_I don't know. How about every other night, same time?_

_Sound's good. Be careful._

_Bye._

Harry rolled up his parchment and wrote a letter to Neville. His friend must not have been near his parchment because Neville didn't write back. Harry shrugged and rolled over to go to sleep.

**xXxXxXx**

"Professor Lupin,” Mrs. Longbottom said in some surprise.

Remus' head in the green flames smiled at her. "I'm sorry for calling so late. I hope I am not interrupting."

"Not at all. We were just sitting down to supper. Would you care to join us?"

"I would. Thank you,” Remus answered and stepped through when the woman backed away to give him room. "How has the summer been?"

"Very fine,” Mrs. Longbottom said with prim solemnity. "We saw Frank and Alice the other day."

"Ah." Remus nodded, not sure what to say to that. From his visit in the Longbottom's home over Christmas he had come to realize that Neville's parents were often talked of and to make any show of sympathy or pity was not appreciated. Neville's grandmother and great-uncle saw the two ex-Aurors as heroes and took pride in their sacrifice.

They entered the modestly sized dinning room and Mrs. Longbottom shouted, "Neville! Set another place setting. Professor Lupin will be dinning with us."

Neville jumped at the shout. "Yes, ma'am. Hello, Professor."

"Good evening, Neville." Remus smiled kindly at the teen and Neville hurried from the room.

"That boy…" Mrs. Longbottom shook her head. "It is a good thing you stopped by. Algie has gone on an outing with a few of his old friends, so we are one short tonight."

"Thank you for having me." Remus took a seat and Neville came back in with a place mat, dishes, and silverware.

"Put the fork down first, boy!" Mrs. Longbottom barked loudly. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

"S-s-sorry, Gran"

"Just sit down." She shook her head with exasperation. "I will get dinner."

"How are you doing, Neville?" Remus asked once they were alone.

Neville smiled, but it was clear his heart wasn’t in it. "Fine."

"Did you get Harry's little parchment?"

"How'd you know about that?"

Remus laughed. "I helped Sirius make them."

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad I get to talk to Harry."

"He was just as excited,” Remus assured him. "Have you started on your homework?"

"Yes, but Grandmother made me tear up my Charms essay. It wasn't good enough and had too many words crossed out." Neville looked at his lap in embarrassment and shame.

"Here we are." Mrs. Longbottom came back floating several dishes onto the center of the table. "Neville, wait for the Professor to serve himself before taking any."

"Yes, ma'am." Neville blushed. He knew that, she didn't have to tell him! He wasn't that inconsiderate.

"This smells great." Remus smiled at the older woman and she obliged him by describing in precise detail how each thing was made.

"If only Neville could pay as close attention to his Potions… I always said it was very similar to cooking,” she finished.

"Neville only needs to gain a bit more confidence in himself,” Remus told her. "He has great instincts."

"Frank had the same." Mrs. Longbottom nodded. "It was what made him such a great Auror. It's a shame Neville doesn't embrace such a gift."

Remus put down his fork and knife as he finished and gave another charming smile. "That brings me to the purpose of my visit."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I was wondering if you'd give Neville permission to come to my place of residence for a week. I'd like to continue tutoring him since we were making such great progress."

"His grades have improved. Thank you for all your help." She smiled. "He's a good boy."

"I agree." Remus winked at Neville and the chubby teen ducked his head to hide his grin.

"I don't see a reason why he shouldn't go with you." She turned to Neville and her voice rose in volume. "Say thank you, Neville, and go pack a bag. Make sure you have enough clean clothes and don't forget all your books. The extra parchment is in my desk drawer, grab a few sheafs on your way up. And don't pack anything with holes! You are the Longbottom heir! Carry yourself as such!"

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you! Thank you for inviting me, Professor." Neville grinned happily and ran from the room. 

Remus chuckled as he heard a loud crash.

"Don't run, Neville!" Mrs. Longbottom shouted. "That boy! I don't know where he gets it from. Neither of his parents were so clumsy and uncoordinated."

"Alice was always a bit shy,” Remus offered.

"She was a sweet girl." Mrs. Longbottom nodded. "Let me take your plate."

Remus let her. He knew that it was pointless to protest or offer to help with the clean up. Mrs. Longbottom took it as a personal affront and an insult to her age. He shook his head and waited for the Gryffindor to come back down. He was glad Severus had suggested this. He didn't like the stress Neville was put under when he was at home or the depression that usually followed. In fact, tonight was the first time he had seen Neville so happy inside his home. It would do the boy good to get away for a bit. Mrs. Longbottom loved her grandson, but her overbearing and rigid manner was doing more harm than good for Neville's frayed nerves and non-existent self-worth.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke the next morning to find a quick note from Neville explaining that he would be at Snape Manor all week with Professor Snape learning how to meditate. Neville also wrote that Professor Snape didn't look well and that maybe Harry should talk to him.

**No way,** Silas said immediately.

**Don't be stupid,** Gabriel argued. **Look, you're the one who wanted Snape to be told about us. You're the one who said he was the only one who could be trusted to help us.**

**This just proves that we shouldn't trust _anyone_. I don't think you realize just how dangerous it is for others to know about our condition.**

**That's bull.** Gabriel glared. **We are strong and powerful. We aren't helpless, Silas. We can protect ourselves.**

**We shouldn't put ourselves in a situation where we might need to defend ourselves,** Silas snapped back. **Not only could you be put in a situation where you felt you had to go run off and fight, getting us killed, but what happens if someone decides to try and lock one of us Out? Harry would get very sick. Not to mention our condition would deteriorate. And what about when people who think they know what's best for Harry find out and send him to St. Mungo's, put him in a white padded room, and/or give him drugs. That's not what he needs; it would only make things worse. Then there's the chance someone might want to do studies and experiments on us. Should I go on? Professor Snape has left us open to such attacks when he very well KNEW I didn't want anyone else to know.**

Gabriel and Harry had nothing to say to that. Harry wrote a quick note to his best friend to let him know he got the message, but he didn't say anything about Snape. He thought it best to just avoid mentioning his teacher all together. Gabriel was against avoiding confrontation, but he had nothing to combat Silas' triad with, so he kept his silence sullenly.

Remus came back that morning and confirmed Neville's new location. Harry thanked him and asked if it were possible for him to see Neville once in a while. Remus said he'd ask Severus. Harry said nothing to that and went to play with his godfather. That night, after dinner, Remus pulled Harry into the parlor. He looked calm, but Silas' sharp mind caught his nervousness, though the alter deemed it wise not to inform his host just yet.

"Harry. I was wondering how things are with you. Have you had any more… ummm… slips?"

Harry looked up at his teacher and began to fidget. He trusted Remus and liked him, but it felt… wrong… talking to him about his condition. It just wasn't the same, so he decided not to mention the change in being able to talk to his alters or about their not being able to come Out like normal.

"No. No slips." He smiled. "I feel fine."

"Good." Remus smiled and sat next to him on the couch. "How are you coming along in understanding Rose? Do you want to talk about it?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "I dream about her sometimes. She… is nice."

"And?" Remus coaxed. "How do you feel about her?"

Harry grimaced. It was obvious his teacher didn't know what he was doing, but that he was sincere in wanting to help. How could he tell Remus what he felt and saw when he dreamed of Rose? How would his teacher react? Would he judge? Would he get angry? Feel pity? He didn't want Remus to look at him any differently or treat him differently like he was doing now. Remus was acting like Harry was breakable or fragile. It made him feel that way when he didn't before.

"I don't want to talk about this,” he finally said.

Remus looked upset but nodded. 

Harry quickly ran from the room. He hoped that was the last session Remus tried to have with him. He missed Severus. Silas guessed what his host was thinking and again made his protest against Snape. Gabriel yelled back that he was being paranoid and unreasonable. Harry told them both to shut up and locked himself into the music room to play.

That was another thing that had changed from the summer. Neither Sirius nor Remus respected the closed door rule. Both men would knock and enter without waiting for a reply. Sirius often wouldn't even knock. Harry didn't like it at all. Especially since both men often invaded his room, but he couldn't bring himself to protest out-loud. Not when Sirius so obviously needed attention and company.

Twice more Remus tried to get Harry to talk about what he was feeling and thinking about his condition and alters, but Harry avoided him and made excuses to leave the room. He felt bad that he was hurting his teacher's feelings, but he could also tell that Remus was relieved and that reinforced his decision not to talk about what was happening inside his head.

Wednesday morning came and Remus left, summoned by Dumbledore to resume the search. They had found another lead. Harry had no idea what they found since he hadn't done anything, but he didn't really care. He was more worried about Sirius. The man was pacing the house and was often going back and forth from his human and animal form. It didn't seem like he had any control over it. It got worse without Remus there.

"Harry…" Sirius said as he opened the teen's bedroom door. He padded across the floor and sat gingerly on the bed. Harry was writing on his parchment to Neville, but he put it to the side when his godfather had entered. "I was wondering… Would you like to get out of here for a few days? I mean, we've been cooped up in here for almost a week. Why don't we go and have some fun? We'll be back before anyone notices."

Harry bit his lip. He was used to his godfather coming up with wild ideas at a moment's notice, but this was far and away the craziest. Sirius was excited. His blue eyes were alive and there was more life to him than Harry had seen in a while. He was glad at this improvement, but he wasn't sure leaving the house was such a good idea.

"How will we get back? I don't even know where we are,” Harry pointed out.

"I can apparate us back to that muggle town with the Inn we stayed at,” Sirius promised. "Come on, kid. It will be fun. It will do us good. I swear nothing will happen. We'll be back before you know it."

**It would get you away from Remus for a few days,** Gabriel pointed out. **And we know how to defend ourselves. We can always come back if anything happens.**

**We can defend ourselves, but Harry can’t,** Silas reminded. **We can't come Out to protect him, remember? And if anything goes wrong where we have to get back here fast, we might lead trouble to the front door and this place wouldn't be a hideout anymore.**

**I'm bored out of my mind and you are too,** Gabriel argued. **Come on. We'll be fine!**

Silas said nothing to this and Harry took that to be consent. He smiled at his godfather and nodded. It would be nice to get away for a while. Remus was making him increasingly uncomfortable and Sirius' anxiety was catching. Not to mention he was as bored as his alters. Sirius whooped and hugged his godson excitedly. He ran around packing their bags and rambling about all the fun they were going to have. Harry watched all the activity with an amused smile. This was going to be fun.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus glared at the werewolf sitting on the couch on the other side of the room. He couldn't speak, he was so angry. He was furious that the Wolf was getting no results with getting through to Harry. He was the only one left who could talk to Harry about his condition and Remus was sitting there whining that Harry didn't want to talk and he was afraid he'd say something wrong.

"I won't repeat myself again,” Severus growled, eyes glinting dangerously as they glared through his oily, stringy bangs. "Harry's condition is deteriorating. He needs to be forced to confront what's going on inside of him."

"Why don't you go talk to him?" Remus pleaded. "Severus…"

"NO! We've already DISCUSSED this!" Severus bellowed and turned his back, trying to calm his anger. When he turned back, he spoke at a more reasonable volume. "He doesn't trust me. Without trust, I can do nothing to help him. You are the only one who can so get it together and help that child!"

Remus stood stiffly, body achy due to the upcoming full moon. Severus sneered but said nothing as the werewolf flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. From there he'd find a discreet place where he could apparate to the hidden house. 

Severus turned and collapsed into his chair, summoning a stiff drink into his hand. A migraine was building behind his eyes. He remembered Harry's reaction in the parlor when he had told him of Dumbledore's knowledge. He's eyes had gotten distant, one slender hand rising to clutch at his hair, and then that screamed plea for silence, but Severus hadn't been talking for several minutes. The only thing he could conclude was that the noise was coming from within Harry's head.

If Harry was hearing the "voices" of his alters, that was a large step backward in his recovery. It was imperative someone talk to the boy, help him get through this. On top of that, Boy needed to be let Out and gentled, Rose needed to be merged, and Silas and Gabriel needed to be put back into their place. The only one available to do this was balking and stalling because of his own weaknesses and fears. It was intolerable. Severus couldn't wait any longer for the Wolf to do what was necessary. He'd have to consider bringing in a muggle professional. He winced, imagining Harry's reaction to him telling yet another person about his condition.

"Professor Snape?" Neville asked, coming to stand in the doorway in his pajamas. "I heard yelling. Is everything alright?"

Severus looked up at the Gryffindor with an expression blank and tired. Dark circles lay under his eyes and his hair curtained his face creating shadows that made him look all the more frightening. 

Spending three days with the Professor had been enough for Neville to lose his fear of the man in general, but it had done nothing about his fear of the man's anger so he still felt cautious. Frowned, he came into the room hesitantly.

Severus gave a sneer. ”I am fine. Go back to sleep. We have a lesson early in the morning, if you recall."

“A-alright," Neville stuttered nervously. He had too many bad experiences with people when they’d had a few drinks, but at the same time he couldn't leave his teacher looking so upset. "I-if you're w-worried about Harry… H-he's doing a-alright."

Severus stared at the chubby boy, a light burning in his eyes that made the Gryffindor swallow hard. "How would you know how Harry is?"

"I-I-I…" Neville took a deep breath. "I've been writing to him, sir."

"I see." Severus looked away toward the fire. "Go to sleep, Longbottom."

"Yes, sir." Neville hurried from the room. He wished he could do more. He knew Harry missed Snape as much as Snape wished he could be there for Harry. They were both being stubborn in his opinion.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus flooed into Snape Manor around eight o'clock the next morning. He looked frantic when he burst into the dinning room where Neville and Severus were having breakfast. However, both Severus and Neville were wide awake, having been up for several hours working on meditation. 

Severus jumped to his feet with his wand drawn, but he put it away as soon as he recognized the werewolf.

"They're gone!" Remus cried.

"What!" Severus yelled, irritation banished instantly.

"They're not there! I searched the whole house! Sirius and Harry are gone!"

"When did they leave?" Severus snarled.

"I don't know." Remus shook his head. "I was gone all day yesterday, as you know, and got back late. I figured they were sleeping and went to bed without checking on them. They could have left anytime between yesterday morning and now."

"That damn mutt!" Severus strode from the room. Remus followed along with Neville. "Where would he have taken Harry?"

"I don't know." Remus ran his hands through his hair. "Really, I don't."

"And you, Longbottom? Has Harry written you?" Severus stared at the boy, daring him to lie.

"N-n-no, sir. He wrote to me after dinner and he was still at the house then,” Neville answered quickly.

"Lupin, I am scheduled to join the Order's search party. You go out and look for them on your own. Go anywhere you remember Black liking. I'll keep my eyes open and try to divert the Order should they find a sign of the imbeciles." Severus stepped into the floo and was gone.

"Does he know about your parchment?" Remus asked the boy.

"No. Only that I write to Harry and he writes back,” Neville answered. "I'll try and get a hold of Harry that way."

"Good." Remus smiled. "Try and convince him to come back. It's too dangerous for them to be out and about with so many people looking for them. Let's just hope that if they are found it is the Order and not the Ministry or the Death Eaters that do it."

Neville paled and nodded. Remus flooed away and the Gryffindor ran up to his room. He wrote on the parchment frantically, but there was no answer. Neville bit his lip and hoped his friend was alright.

**xXxXxXx**

"Are you ready for this?" Sirius asked excitedly. He was practically bouncing around the small teen.

Harry laughed and grabbed his godfather's hand in an effort to still him. ”Yeah!"

"Good! I remember coming to one of these with James and Lily. We had such a good time!" Sirius filled his lungs with the summer air and lifted his face to allow the morning sun to fall on it. It felt so good to be outside. He was very sick of being trapped in that house. He opened his eyes and grinned in delight as he looked over the lines to get into Disneyland Paris. “But the muggle I talked to said this park is better than any park that came before! It has dozens of rides!”

It took an half an hour to actually get into the park, but then Harry and Sirius were running. They ran from ride to ride, game to game. Harry won a stuffed animal at the water gun game and Sirius won one at the one where you hit the pad and if you hit it hard enough it rang the bell at the top. They rode every roller coaster until they felt they were going to be sick. They ate nothing good for them and everything bad. They were one of the last people to leave the park and both of them were wearing new shirts that had the park's logo on them.

"That was great!" Harry said with a happy yawn.

"Did you doubt me?" Sirius laughed and tugged on the boy's hand. "Let's go to a movie! Muggle movies are so funny!"

"I'm kinda tired." Harry yawned again. "Maybe we should go back to the hotel room."

"Come on! You don't have to do anything in a theatre, just sit there!"

"Alright." Harry gave in with a smile and allowed his godfather to pull him into an alley and apparate him away.

The movie they went to was called _Jurassic Park_. Harry had hoped to be able to sleep through it, but it was so action packed that he couldn't. He was on the edge of his seat almost the entire time, gasping along with the rest of the audience as the story unfolded, and there were dinosaurs! How could you sleep through dinosaurs?

Sirius wanted to go midnight bowling afterward, but Harry could hardly keep his eyes open. Sirius gave in and apparated them back to the hotel room. Harry was asleep before he ever hit the pillow and was yanked from sleep much too soon by icy water falling on him. The shock and pain was so sudden that Boy responded.

Sirius laughed as his godson shot up with a gasp, but the humor left him in a rush when Harry scrambled back against the headboard and huddled their shivering. "Oh no,” he said gently. "Harry, it's alright. Don't be afraid. I was just pranking you. I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Please, Harry."

Boy sat rocking and crying, cold from the water and wondering with fearful anticipation what would come next. The fear didn't go away when the man left and a dog stood in its place, but he could at least think a bit. He looked around, pushing vainly at the dog as it licked his face. There. He crawled over to the door and pulled. It led to a very small bathroom. It was good enough. He curled up under the sink, shivering.

It took Sirius half an hour to coax Harry out of his fit. Harry crawled out from under the sink and blinked with confused green eyes. Sirius morphed back into a human and pretended like nothing had happened. That made the teen relax and, really, he didn't want to think about it. Sirius threw the boy a bathing suit and raced him to the hotel pool.

They swam for a couple hours before their empty stomachs made them leave the wonderfully cool water. They walked around until they found a restaurant they could both agree on and went in. Sirius had a steak with a baked potato and Harry a fish sandwich with fries. Afterward, Sirius took him to the zoo.

Harry laughed every time his godfather turned into Padfoot when no one was looking. He'd bark until the animals got wound up and turn back to a human. The zoo workers would come running and demand to know which way the dog went and Sirius would shrug innocently and say he hadn't seen a dog. It was hilarious.

"Come on, Harry. I know just the thing to do." Sirius grabbed Harry's hand as they left the zoo and apparated.

Harry stumbled a bit and looked around. They were… in London? He frowned but relaxed when Sirius turned to him and winked. They walked down the city street and turned into the Leaky Cauldron.

**This is not a good idea,** Silas said tensely. **Harry, get out of there! Someone will recognize you!**

"Ummm… Sirius? I don't think we should..."

"Trust me." Sirius grinned and he hunched his shoulders and walked through the pub. 

Harry tried to hide behind his godfather, but he could feel the eyes of the other patrons. Sirius was tapping on the brick wall with the wand Remus gave him when three people ran out of the pub and began firing Stun spells.

Sirius laughed and apparated Harry away. Harry looked around frantically. They were now in the country somewhere. His heart was still racing from the brief battle. 

"Come on!" Sirius called and took off running for some trees. 

Harry ran after, afraid something had gone terribly wrong. His hands shook and all he could think of was that he was in deep trouble. So when Sirius jumped into the branches of the first tree and began chuckling happily, he was very confused.

"What's going on?" Harry panted.

"We're playing Hide and Seek. Shhh…" Sirius grinned and ruffled his hair. 

Harry just stared at him.

**And I thought no one could be dumber than Gabriel,** Silas sneered.

**Someone's coming,** Gabriel answered grimly, desperately needing Out to defend them.

Harry's vision blurred with the strength of his headache. He couldn't tell who it was that apparated into the clearing they had landed in, but they didn't seem friendly. They were casting many spells that Harry didn't recognize. Sirius let out a loud laugh and grabbed Harry, apparating again.

They played this game with the Aurors three times more before Harry begged his godfather to stop. Sirius reluctantly agreed to take Harry back to their hotel in France. They apparated just inside the French border and then continued on by foot and taxi so the Aurors wouldn't be able to follow them.

It was late when they finally got back, but Harry couldn't sleep easy despite being tired. Every time he was about to fall asleep, he'd jerk away afraid he had heard that pop of apparation and he was going to be taken away. He lay curled on his side, tense and listening to his godfather's snores. Sirius' laughter still rang in his head.

**Harry, we've had fun. It's time to go back to the house where it’s safe,** Silas said softly.

**No way! We're having a good time!** Gabriel argued. **Sirius won't do that again. He knows better now.**

**It doesn't matter. That was too close. We should go back. We're not safe out here. They will find us eventually.**

**What would we be going back to? An empty house and a restless godfather? Why should we?**

Harry curled tighter and whispered, "I miss Severus."

**Harry…** Silas said darkly.

“No," Harry said as tears burned his eyes. 

His chest felt funny and memories were rising in his mind. They were sharp and painfully sweet. Unknown to him, Silas and Gabriel were watching Rose's door in the soul room disappear. Harry had finally accepted love. 

"Don't you remember all he's done? He helped me with everything. He threw me my first birthday party and watched me open my gifts. He even got me a present, so did Omi. He took care of me and no one has done that before. He made sure I was okay and gave me space when I needed it and made me face the world when I needed that. He taught me how to play piano and spelled it so I could wear it close to me always. If it weren't for Severus, I'd never have faced Lockhart! He and Remus bought me my Firebolt and he always protected me, made me feel safe. I want Severus back."

There was no answer, but Harry didn't notice. He was too preoccupied with the new memories. He remembered the hours he spent cleaning, cooking, serving his Aunt's guests. He knew what it was like to be deaf. He remembered the lessons in etiquette. Remembered how much he wanted to make his family happy and knew exactly how much his family hated him. It hurt. Why couldn't they love him? He had done everything he could… Why did they hate him so very much?

He wanted Severus more than ever. His teacher had become important to him and Harry needed him. He needed to tell him how he felt, tell him what he remembered. He needed his teacher to help him understand and put it all in perspective. Needed Severus to remind him that something wasn't wrong with him, that he wasn't a freak. He needed to know someone cared about him and wanted to protect him. Sirius was fun, but he was too unpredictable to rely on and too manic to trust that he would make sure nothing bad would happen.

Harry was still awake when Sirius woke up. He felt the man become more aware. Felt Sirius' confusion and then excitement. It filled the air with colors and Harry was mesmerized by how familiar and at the same time how new it felt. Sirius saw he was up and began talking quickly about what they would do that day.

"Sirius…" Harry hesitated. He could see and feel how brittle his godfather's emotions were. He didn't want to hurt him or make him worse, but he couldn't go along with this anymore. "I've had a great time, but I think it's time to go back. I'm sure Remus and Severus knows we're gone by now and are really worried. Maybe we can come back later."

"But Harry…" Sirius whined, giving the teen puppy eyes.

Harry winced as he saw the truth. Sirius wasn't playing. He really was afraid of going back. He couldn't stand being locked away. He could barely hold the darkness away there. Harry fidgeted with his shirt and turned his eyes to the floor submissively. He wanted to make Sirius happy, but he didn't want Remus and Severus to worry either. And he missed Severus. He wanted to go home.

Sirius really looked at his godson and saw how sad he was. He knew they needed to go back. Fun couldn't last forever and Harry really looked upset. He couldn't do that to his godson, so he smiled and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Alright, kiddo! One more dip in the pool and we'll go back. Deal?"

Harry looked up with a smile. His green eyes shone with gratitude and an understanding that had Sirius turning away in embarrassment. "Deal." Harry stood and grabbed his godfather's hand.

**Chapter end.**


	21. Knowing Your Place

**Knowing Your Place**

It was two o'clock when Sirius apparated them outside the falling apart house a few hours from London. He shared a look with his godson and opened the door, stepping inside, and suddenly arriving somewhere in Italy. Harry stepped up to the staircase and called for Remus, but there was no answer.

"Omi!" he called.

The elf appeared and was not happy at all. "Sirs! You've been very bad, sirs!"

"I know, Omi,” Harry said softly and gave a small smile. "I'm sorry. I won’t do it again."

"You not needs to be telling me that, sir. You needs to tell Master!”

"Yes, I know. How can I get a hold of him?"

"I wills get him, sirs. Just wait here,” Omi said and disappeared with a pop.

"That wasn't a good idea,” Sirius muttered.

Sure enough, not a second later, the front door slammed open and Severus Snape strode in. His face was set in a dark scowl that was even scarier because of how ill he looked. Despite this, Harry felt tears of relief burn his eyes, but before he could say anything, Severus shoved Sirius into a wall and began choking him.

"What. Were. You. Thinking? How dare put Harry in danger for your own GODDAMN SELFISHNESS!"

Sirius flailed, trying to get free of the choking hand, but Severus's wand came up and Sirius stilled. Harry winced as terror and rage filled the room. He put his hands over his eyes, but he still couldn't escape the spiraling emotions. His back hit the wall and he made a small sound of pain. Severus dark eyes went to the boy and he felt like screaming as he watched Harry cower away from them.

"Get out of my sight,” Severus hissed icily, releasing Sirius.

Sirius coughed a few times and glared through watering eyes at the Potions Master. "I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"Go, Sirius,” Harry said softly, straightening as much as he could. "I need to talk to him. Please. I'll be alright, I promise."

Sirius searched his godson's eyes, but Harry was being honest. He gave a threatening glare to his childhood rival and stormed up the stairs to his room. 

Severus and Harry stood still and silent until they heard the convict's door slam. The sound freed them both. Harry took two quick steps and wrapped his arms around his teacher's waist as he felt Severus' anger melt away and revealed the fear and relief it was hiding.

Severus tensed with shock and surprise. His arms hovered uncertainly as he looked down at the teen hugging him. The boy's head was a few inches short of his chin. He couldn't see Harry's face because it was pressed to his chest. When long seconds passed and Harry made no move to release him, Severus sighed and settled his arms around the child tentatively. His grip tightened when he allowed himself to feel happiness at being with Harry again. This was the second time Harry had come back to him when he had been certain the boy would never allow him back into his life.

"I'm sorry,” Harry said and Severus had to strain his ears to be able to make out the muffled words. "Please come back. Don't leave me."

"Harry…" Severus pushed him away and knelt so that he was more at eye level. "What happened? Are you alright?"

Harry wiped at his eyes and smiled, one hand resting on Severus' shoulder for support. "I'm fine. I just… I merged with Rose and… I wanted to come back… I wanted you to come back… I'm sorry about being so mad about you telling… I don't care, really!"

"I'm here,” Severus promised and stood. He led the way to the parlor so they could talk, not realizing he was holding Harry's hand the whole way. 

They separated into their accustomed positions and Harry settled into his place with a feeling of contentment as he looked at the man across from him. Severus didn't smile back at him, but there was a loosening of his shoulders and jaw, not to mention the gentle emotions glowing around him that told Harry that Severus was feeling the same relief at being home. Harry's smile widened at the thought; he had a home for the first time in his life.

"Tell me what happened,” Severus ordered softly, dark eyes intent as they pinned Harry in place.

Harry obediently described his adventure with Sirius. He expected his teacher to feel anger again when he told about the Hide and Seek game, but though anger flared for a second it was quickly subdued as Severus concentrated instead on Harry and not Sirius. Harry wrapped his arms around his legs happily, he was so glad Severus was here.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Severus asked in confusion. He had only ever seen such a joyful smile on Harry's lips when the boy won a Quidditch game.

Harry blushed and looked shyly at his knees. "I… I can feel you… and I'm just happy that you're here to help me again… I missed you."

Severus stared at the boy and felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "Merlin help me. I missed you too, brat."

Harry launched himself at Severus and landed in the man's lap. Severus let out a surprised oomph as the air was knocked from him and awkwardly hugged the boy back. He had come to terms with caring for the boy, even though he was a Gryffindor and James' son, but he was still uncomfortable with physical displays of affection.

Harry looked up at him with a sad, knowing smile and left his lap. Severus felt uncomfortable with that knowing gaze. The boy had powerful empathy and Severus was not okay with anyone knowing him that well. His Occlumency shields strengthened defensively and he watched to see if Harry was hurt by this, but the teen only shrugged.

"Sorry about that,” Harry said as he sat back down on the couch. "I… I just have so much… so much inside me now…"

"I understand." Severus nodded, face blank once more. "It might take awhile for your emotions to level out. They'll be a bit erratic for awhile as you adjust to the re-introduction of Rose.” He paused, wondering if this was a good time to begin discussing the new memories that came with accepting Rose. After watching the emotionally unstable teenager for a minute, he decided to move onto more solid ground. "Rose's" memories could wait. "Harry, I need to know. Can you hear your alters in your head?"

"I could,” Harry answered and his smile disappeared. "Ever since I woke up at the Inn with Sirius after the storm, Silas and Gabriel have been talking to me in my head. They couldn't come Out either."

"You can't hear them now?"

"Not since I merged with Rose." Harry shook his head. "Do you think that means its back to the way it was before?"

"Perhaps." Severus sat back and raised his hands thoughtfully, folded before his mouth. "Did you experience any moment of deafness since you accepted Rose?"

Harry tilted his head curiously. "No."

"You might be temporarily deaf to your alters because of Rose's condition,” Severus explained.

"Oh." Harry sighed. "I understand why she was deaf, but how is that possible anyway?"

"The mind is a complex and powerful thing." Severus smiled darkly. "You'd be surprised what it is capable of. Basically your mind stopped translating your audio sensory input in self-defense. The same as if you had lost a limb. Your body would recognize it was losing too much blood too quickly and would just stop letting blood flow to that area. If it weren't for this, anyone who loses a limb would bleed to death in minutes."

"Gross." Harry grimaced and Severus laughed. Harry smiled happily that he had earned such a reaction.

"I wish I could stay, Harry, but I have to go,” Severus said reluctantly. "I was released to take a few hours to sleep, but have to return to the search parties now. I will be back as soon as I can."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry."

Severus waved that away and stood. "Why don't you go and eat? I want to have a word with the mutt."

"Are you going to hurt him?" Harry asked solemnly, green eyes weighing heavily on Severus.

He turned away and strode toward the door, unable to bear that gaze. "Maybe a little, but you will have him back alive." He didn't look back to see if the boy was doing as he had been told. He didn't really care as long as Harry wasn't following him. He quickly made his way upstairs. Sirius' door was locked. He sneered and put his hand on the doorknob. “Open." The door obeyed and Severus entered. 

Sirius was sitting on the bed facing the window with his back to the door. The man was still too thin and his hair was tangled. There was a weariness in his posture that made him seem vulnerable. None of this touched Severus, however. He crossed the room and glared down at the back of the convict's head.

"As soon as I contact Lupin, you will be moved elsewhere,” he said coldly.

The weakness disappeared as Sirius spun around and glared fiercely in the Potion Master's eyes. "You can't keep me from my godson, Snivellus. I'll hurt you if you try."

"No, you won't." Severus smirked and the expression only enraged Sirius more. "Because if you do, you will be hurting Harry. And if you do that, I will destroy you. Harry can't handle your insanity right now. Therefore you will leave. You will not sulk or upset Harry before you leave and only when I deem you competent will you be allowed visiting rights."

"This is absurd!" Sirius roared. "If James and Lily were alive…"

"But they aren’t," Severus snarled. "And I'm being more than reasonable. I'm being bloody lenient! Don't push me, Black, or you will never see Harry again!"

“Bastard," Sirius growled.

"Start packing,” Severus sneered and spun, striding from the room without another word or glance. 

He didn't see Sirius slump against the wall under the window in defeat or the burning hate in the man's bright blue eyes.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus stepped from the fire in Snape Manor. Neville was sitting on the couch with paper and books strewn about him. His head came up and he gave his teacher a smile.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked as he collapsed into a chair.

"Transfiguration essay." Neville quickly scooped everything in a pile and shoved it to the side. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just tired." Remus gave a strained smile. "Full moon tomorrow."

"Can I get you anything?" Neville fidgeted.

"I'm fine, Neville,” he assured the teen. "How are you? I haven't gotten to see you as much as I thought I would."

"I'm good. Any news about Harry?"

"There were a few sightings, but they got away." Remus sighed. "Severus sleeping?"

"Yeah, he went up about an hour ago."

"You must be bored out of your mind. How about a game of Exploding Snap?"

"Alright." Neville smiled. "I'll go get my cards."

Remus sighed and closed his eyes, just resting for a bit while the boy was gone. They played for about thirty minutes, Neville clearly winning when the fire flared and Severus stepped out. Neville gaped in surprise and Remus tensed at the dark look the man had on his face. That never meant anything good.

"What's happened?" he asked.

"The mutt and Harry have returned. Harry's eating now and Black is sulking in the guest room." Severus looked to Neville. "Go pack your things. You are going to be staying with Harry. I know you are scheduled to return home Monday, but Lupin will inquire if we could extend your stay or maybe have you come back again later."

"Thank you, sir!" Neville beamed and sprinted out of the room.

Severus turned his attention to Remus. "You will find an alternative place for the mutt to stay. He's unstable from his stay in Azkaban and has twice endangered Harry's life. I've forbidden him to return until he recovers some semblance of sanity."

"What happened?" Remus asked again, frowning, but as he listened to Severus coldly describe the Hide and Seek game Sirius had invented, he no longer thought Severus was being too harsh. "But who will stay with Harry? He can't be left alone with only Neville."

"I will manipulate free time away from these damn searches,” Severus answered casually and tried to ignore the growing grin on the werewolf's face. It was harder to ignore the man's next words.

"I'm glad you and Harry have patched things up. You need each other."

"Get going, Wolf, and take the Gryffindor with you. I have to have a talk with the Headmaster,” Severus sneered and gestured Neville into the room when the teen hesitated at the door.

Remus laughed and shrunk Neville's things for him to put in his pocket. The boy's face was flushed and Remus assured him gently, "Don't worry about it if you've forgotten something. We can always come back."

Neville blushed, embarrassed that his teacher knew the source of his distress. "Thanks."

He stepped up close to his teacher and Remus wrapped an arm around his shoulders and called out 'Leaky Cauldron'. From there, Remus lead them to an alley and apparated to the Inn in the town outside London. Then he led the panting teen to the outskirts and apparated again, this time right outside the dilapidated house.

Neville looked around in awe and tried to ignore his queasy stomach. Dying woods were set off to the right and green spotted fields surrounded them. There was a dirt lane leading up to the house, but there were no other buildings or people in sight. A red painted fence that was falling over in several places marked off the property the house stood on. He couldn't imagine Professor Snape living in such a place and braced himself for another apparation. Instead Remus led him toward the front door. Neville followed confused and curious.

"Welcome to…" Remus paused and tapped his chin. "I don't know if Severus has a name for this place. I've only heard him call it 'the house' or 'my house'…. Well, that doesn't matter. Welcome, Neville."

He swung the door open and Neville's frown deepened. He could see through the door a dark, rundown corridor. The walls were leaning in and Neville doubted the floor would support his weight, but his teacher's grin told him that all was not how it appeared, so he took the two steps needed to cross the threshold.

Between one eye blink and the next, he was standing in a well furnished, well cared for entrance hall. The wood flooring was sturdy and a warm golden brown color. The walls were painted a pale cream and paintings hung on the walls of landscapes. If you looked closely, you could see the trees waving in a gentle breeze or the water in the lake shimmering and moving. There was a wooden staircase with pale yellow banister. An auburn-red carpet with tiny yellow geometric symbols covered the center of the stairs all the way up to the second landing. It was warm place and Neville was astonished.

"Nev!" Harry cried and came barreling out of a doorway to the side.

Neville fell backward under the sudden impact and he lay on the floor laughing as Harry hung around his neck and half across his chest. Remus laughed and lifted Harry. He hugged the boy tightly and scolded/welcomed him. Sirius came down during the middle of it and jumped onto the two, knocking Remus down next to the sitting Neville.

"Moony!" he cried.

Neville smiled. He had been nervous about meeting the convict, not knowing if he'd be afraid or not, but it was hard to fear someone who had just transformed into a dog and was licking his teacher and best friend's faces.

"Sirius, get off!" Remus laughed and shoved at the dog.

Harry turned and jumped on Neville again. This time Neville was braced and remained sitting. "Sirius took me to Disneyland! It was so much fun! I almost got sick on this one ride and…"

Neville listened to his friend's rapid chatter as Remus finally stood and helped them to their feet. Harry was still talking as they were led into a sitting room done in rich blues, purple, and silver. The furniture was all hand-carved wood, a dark brown in color. Neville sat beside Harry on the couch and Sirius and Remus sat on either side in chairs.

"I'm glad you had fun, pup,” Remus cut in. "But you shouldn't have left. You could have been captured by the Ministry or sent back to the Dursley's by the Order. Worse, you could have been killed by Death Eaters."

"Hey, back off, Moony." Sirius frowned, his face darkening. "We just wanted to have a little fun."

"Sirius," Remus sighed, "there are ways to have fun that don't put either of you in danger."

"We were fine. We came back, didn't we?"

"Because of luck." Remus lost his soft edges and his eyes grew angry. "What were you thinking baiting the Aurors like that, Sirius?"

Neville looked over at Harry as the argument continued. The teen was no longer smiling. He was sitting straight and rigid. His back was pressed firmly into the cushions and he stared at his hands clasped firmly in his lap. Neville frowned and leaned in. "Hey. It's alright. They're not mad at you."

Harry nodded once but didn't answer. Colors and emotions were flickering in the corner of his eyes. It was getting brighter as the emotions in the two men became stronger. He felt disappointment, pity, and anger from Remus and below all that was something hungry and animalistic. Frustration, anger, and a brittle, painful howling restlessness flared around Sirius.

Harry was trapped between them. It hurt. It made him afraid. He wanted them to be happy again. He wanted it to stop, but he didn't know what to do to make them better. He had a sudden urge to serve them tea and tears filled his eyes at the stupidity of that. Just then the argument became more heated. Sirius felt a deep blue-purple hurt that exploded into a red-orange defensive fury. Remus was blazing with yellow-white righteousness and blood-red rage. It tore into his mind and he screamed.

Neville grabbed him by his shoulders, but Harry flinched away from the contact, falling to the floor and cowering. Sirius and Remus fell silent with shock and stared at the teen pleading not to be hurt. 

"Maybe we should leave him alone,” Neville suggested shakily.

"I'm sorry I'll be good please don't hurt me,” Harry begged desperately through his violent weeping. He was hunched over his knees, his arms wrapped around his chest, but his head was lifted and his green eyes were filled with terror as they darted from face to face.

"Oh, Harry,” Remus breathed; all his anger at his friend gone in an instant. He felt exhausted and wanted to find a dark place to cry. If James and Lily could see Harry now they'd be devastated.

Sirius transformed into a dog and approached the teen. Boy watched him come and whimpered, yanking up his arms protectively over his face and head. Padfoot backed off, confused. Why was the boy acting like this? Harry wasn't afraid of him in this form before. What had changed? Then Harry unknowingly answered his question.

"Don't! Please oh please don't make him eat me,” Harry practically screamed. "I'll get the belt I'll be good please… Please!"

"Shhh, Harry,” Remus said thickly. "Padfoot won't hurt you. You weren't bad. No one's going to punish you."

Neville was crying, turning his face away from his friend and hating himself for his cowardice. He jumped when Remus grabbed him by his upper arm. He didn’t protest when he was led slowly to the door. Harry's pleas tapered off as soon as they were out of sight and retreated to just whimpers and sobs. Neville slid down the wall and sat on the floor next to the door. Remus sat next to him and wrapped him in a one-armed hug.

"Sometimes I forget that Harry… that he was hurt…" Neville whispered in shame.

"Maybe that's a good thing,” Remus said tiredly. "We can't walk around treating him like he might break at any second."

"I guess…" Neville sniffed. "But why would his family do this to him? … And…. what… what did they do to him to… to make him like that?"

"I can only guess,” Remus said tightly and hung his head. "No one knows what his family did to him. Not even Harry."

"He will know one day, though." Neville shivered. "What happens then?"

"I don't know. I just don't know, Neville."

"I feel so pathetic." Neville laughed bitterly. "Compared to what Harry's gone through my life is perfect. How can I be so weak when he's so strong?"

"It doesn't work that way,” Remus said sternly. "You can't compare your pain to another's. You can understand, sympathize, and empathize with other people, but you can't truly know what it means to be another person. Harry's been hurt. He is even more damaged than either of us, but that doesn't make our own lives and hurts smaller or less painful. The only thing Harry can change is our determination in beating and surviving the darkness. Do you understand?"

Neville smiled tearfully. "Not really."

Remus smiled down at him and wiped away his tears. "Don't ever feel weak for breaking down under the weight of your life. Your pain is unique to you, not stronger or weaker than someone else's. The only thing we can do for each other is be there to help make sure we get back up after falling. And I'm here, Neville. So is Harry… Most of the time." 

Neville laughed wetly and wiped at his tears.

Remus grinned. "That's better. We care about you and don't want you to hide your pain from us. Let us help you get back up. And when we fall, we'll know you'll do the same for us."

"How can I do that for Harry?" Neville's eyes burned with determination. "I want to help him."

"Talk to Severus,” Remus advised. "He understands what Harry needs." Neville nodded. Remus gave him one more squeeze before standing, pulling the teen back to his feet. "Why don't I show you to your room?"

**xXxXxXx**

When Boy was left alone with Padfoot, he crawled under the couch and curled up there. His body would shake violently every few seconds. Padfoot lay next to him and licked his hand or face when this happened. Boy didn't respond, he just lay and stared unblinkingly, tears trickling from his dull eyes. His breathing was deep and ragged still.

It hit Padfoot then just how dangerous it was for Harry right now, and he understood Moony and Snape's anger at him. He’d been selfish. He’d hurt Harry. He whimpered and felt the horrors in his mind rise up. Thankfully they left only vague impressions because he was in his dog form. He shuddered, knowing that nightmares would grip his mind, waking and asleep, if he were to return to being a human.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville and Remus had just got done unpacking the teen when Harry appeared in the doorway. "Hey guys." He smiled and bounced into the room. "Did you know my room is right across the hall, Nev? How long are you getting to stay?"

He smiled. "Just till the day after tomorrow."

"Cool!"

"Padfoot?" Remus asked, looking at the black dog. It looked beaten.

"He followed me up,” Harry explained. "I think he's sad or scared or something. He won't turn back to Sirius."

"He's probably just tired." Remus smiled. "Well, I guess I'll leave you boys alone. I won't be back for a few days and Padfoot will be coming with me. Be good. Severus will be back soon."

"Bye, Remus!" Harry came over and hugged him tight. "Be careful."

"I will." Remus ruffled his hair and turned to Neville. They hugged and Remus left.

Harry stood, pressing down his hair.

Neville laughed at him. "I don't know why you're bothering."

"Come on! You have to see the game room!" Harry grabbed his friend's hand and dragged him out of the room.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus walked into The Three Broomsticks and headed toward the stairs. Usually patrons were not allowed up there, but Dumbledore had talked to Rosmerta and she was allowing the headmaster to use it as a meeting point for the Order members Dumbledore had reinstated to search for the missing Harry Potter.

There were only eleven surviving members, including Dumbledore, who had been a part of the original Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore had called back eight of them and inducted one new member; the goal of the reinstated Order was to organize and lead the search for Harry.

When Severus arrived at the meeting room, Dumbledore nodded and gestured for everyone else to settle down. They had been waiting for him. He saw that three of them were missing. Remus, he knew, was excused for four days due to the full moon tomorrow night. He could only assume Hagrid and Mad-Eye were out in the field searching. Severus took a seat at the end of the table, near the new member.

Shacklebolt, an Auror and Dumbledore's informant in the Ministry, was a tall, bald black wizard who had a slow deep voice. His robes were simple and would not hinder his movements. He was logical and calm-headed, a very efficient and deadly dueler. The only ornamentation he wore was a single gold hoop earring in his left ear.

Dumbledore sat at the head of the table. He was wearing dark blue robes with no flashy moons or anything else of that nature. This spoke volumes of the old wizard's state of mind. Closest to him were Minerva McGonagall and Emmeline Vance. McGonagall looked as proper as ever, but her stern appearance was muted by fatigue. Vance was wearing her favorite emerald green shawl but looked as stately as ever.

Next to McGonagall was Dedalus Diggle. He was an average wizard with no common sense and Severus couldn't stand the man; neither could McGonagall, but she was always diplomatically polite to him and that explained his current place at her side. Elphias Doge was to Vance's left. He had a wheezy voice and his silver hair was the only evidence of his old age. He was a rather intelligent man and, despite not being the best dueler, had contributed greatly to the Order and was continuing to do so.

The meeting was fairly short. They reported on the areas they had been searching and that they still had found no sign. Shacklebolt's was the longest report due to the stupid mutt's games, but the Ministry had found no more clues since then. Dumbledore nodded and set up the new round of search duty. Severus was scheduled for the third shift with Shacklebolt. He didn't say anything. Instead he waited for the others to file out so he could speak to the headmaster alone.

"Severus, my boy, you wish to speak with me?" Dumbledore asked.

"I do." Severus stood and came to sit next to the man he had once seen as his mentor. "Potter has been missing for almost two weeks. Black _taunted_ the Aurors following him and still managed to get away. I understand the importance of bringing Potter back, but this is obviously not getting results. I have work to do and cannot waste any more of my time searching for that filthy mutt and the brat."

"I understand, Severus." Dumbledore sighed. "You and Minerva have the school year to prepare for. I will release you from active duty and shall only call on you if we have a new lead."

Severus bowed his head. "Thank you, Headmaster."

"Be near your Manor, Severus. I will floo you when you are needed." Dumbledore stood and made his way from the room. "I must be going. I am late for a meeting with Mister Fudge as it is. I'll talk to you later, my boy."

Once the headmaster was gone, Severus flooed to Snape Manor. "Omi!"

"Yes, Master?" the elf asked as he popped into view.

"I need the amulet of my mother's."

"Yes, sir!" The elf hurried away.

Severus crouched in front of his fire and began muttering, his wand waving before him. The fire swayed with the wand and slowly went from green to red to yellow and back again. Omi appeared behind him and waited patiently. His luminous yellow eyes glowed as he watched the powerful magic his Master was weaving.

Without disrupting the flow of his words or movements, Severus reached behind him. Omi quickly placed the necklace in his Master's hand. Severus brought it before him and tossed it into the fire. The colorful flames licked up and caught it, cradling it gently. The necklace writhed for several minutes in the dancing flames before the fire began to go out. It settled gently in the ashes and Severus reached in to pull it out.

The metal was cool to his fingers and he clasped it around his neck and slipped the Celtic knot under his robes. The amulet would heat should anyone floo him. He’d have plenty of time to apparate back should anyone call.

"Return to the house. I shall be there soon,” he told his elf. 

Omi nodded and disappeared.

**xXxXxXx**

"Explain again why we are leaving Harry with Snape,” Sirius demanded darkly as he and Remus apparated to the muggle town outside London.

Remus sighed. "Let's get out of sight. This might take awhile."

Sirius said nothing as he followed his best friend down the street and into a dark pub. It was barely three thirty in the afternoon so there weren't very many people there. Remus sat stiffly in a dark corner and Sirius frowned.

"Are you alright, Moony?" he asked worriedly.

“Fine," Remus said shortly. "Full moon tomorrow. Just sore."

Sirius nodded and a grin spread across his face. "I can be with you again."

Remus smiled back. They were interrupted from further conversation by the waitress. Both ordered a beer and she left them. They talked lightly of neutral things until she came back with their drinks, but Sirius wouldn't let the silence stretch on. As soon as the girl was out of ear shot, he turned expectant eyes to his friend.

"Alright, what's really going on here? You told me that the Dursleys are the reason Harry has those breakdowns, but that Dumbledore doesn't believe this is the case. He was going to Dursley's himself with Harry, and to prevent Harry returning there, you had me take off with him and now we're hiding him from everyone. I was okay with all that, but _Snape_? How can it be better for Harry to be with _him_ than with Dumbledore?"

"Look, Sirius,” Remus said earnestly. "The Headmaster put up a powerful blood protection around the Dursley house, linking Harry and his aunt. It will keep Harry safe from Death Eaters and it will only work if he spends a certain amount of time with his family. Dumbledore believes this protection is worth a high price. He isn't sure if Harry was abused by his family yet, but even if he found proof he'd still insist Harry stay with the Dursleys and would send an adult to make sure the abuse wouldn't continue."

Sirius frowned. "Sounds good to me."

"The Headmaster is only trying to do what's best for Harry, but I think he's lost sight of Harry's mind and spirit in his over-concern for his physical wellbeing."

"What do you mean?"

"You saw him, Sirius. That… breakdown as you said… is serious. Harry if very fragile and it would not be healthy to force him to live near his abusers even with a chaperone; to have to see and hear the people that did that to him every day. You can't really believe that is what's best for Harry right now." Remus met Sirius' eyes seriously.

“No," Sirius reluctantly admitted. "No. He shouldn't go anywhere near those Muggles. But _Snape_? Come on, Remus! We can take care of him - me and you. Let's just take him and go."

Remus shook his head with exasperation. "Padfoot, Harry _wants_ to be with Severus. He trusts him for a reason. He has helped Harry with his problems in a way no one else could. He has seen some pretty horrible stuff, Sirius, and he understands Harry in a way we can't. They need each other. We aren't teenagers anymore. We've grown up. You need to put the past behind you, and I'm not just talking about your grudge against Severus. You were tortured in Azkaban. It isn't something you can just shake off in a few months time."

"You don't need to tell _me_ that,” Sirius snarled.

"I know,” Remus said sadly. "I'm so sorry, Padfoot."

"It wasn't your fault, Moony." Sirius relaxed and offered his friend a smile. "Really, it wasn't." He sighed. "And you're right. I can't take care of Harry right now when I'm barely holding myself together, but I still don't like it. James would be spinning in his grave if he knew how much influence we've allowed _Snivellus_ to have over Harry. As soon as I'm back on my feet, I'm taking my godson back."

"I think James would be crying with gratitude that his son was finally being treated right,” Remus said sternly. "Just promise me you won't force Harry to do something he doesn't want to do. If he wants to stay with Severus, you'll let him."

"We'll see." Sirius frowned, but then broke out in a playful grin. "So where are we going, Moony?"

Remus sighed and let the matter drop. They sat and discussed their options for an hour, but eventually it was decided that the continent was too dangerous at the moment. That left them very few options and eventually Sirius opted for the beach in Greece. He believed the more sun he could soak up, the quicker he would heal. Remus agreed and asked Sirius to stay while he made arrangements and obtained an unregistered portkey.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus returned to the house just as Omi was serving dinner. He could hear the two boys talking at the table. Harry was saying something about Neville needing to learn an instrument so they could start a band. Neville was denying the possibility, saying he was horrible at music. The conversation stopped immediately when he walked into the room, but it didn't fill with tension as he would have expected it to not even a year ago.

"Severus!" Harry smiled happily. His hair was smoothed more so than normal but was still sticking up in a few places. His eyes were clear and bright and he seemed very comfortable. "Are you having dinner with us?"

“Yes," he answered blankly and took his seat. Surreptitiously, he observed Neville.

The boy had been as tense as a wound spring when he had first arrived at Snape Manor, but over the course of the week he had relaxed marginally. Though now it was like seeing a whole different person. The Gryffindor was sitting without fidgeting and his brown eyes were steady. His hands didn't have the slightest tremor and he smiled with an easy readiness Severus had never seen in him before.

"How long will you be able to stay?" Harry questioned, bringing Severus out of his contemplations.

"As long as I can,” he answered evasively and began cutting into the stake that appeared before him. "Have you finished your homework?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "Nev said he'd help me with it tomorrow."

"You can do your own homework,” Severus argued and turned his black-eyed gaze on the chubby boy. "Neville will work with me."

Harry nodded acceptance to that and swallowed his food before opening his mouth to ask his next question. "He told me you were teaching him how to meditate and find his inner balance. I was wondering why?"

Severus saw that Neville was just as interested in his answer as Harry. "It is a good technique for people with nervous constitutions. As well, it is the first step in understanding and mastering his Elemental ability."

Neville gasped and dropped his fork, sending it crashing to the floor with the bite of mash potatoes it had been holding. He turned bright red and hastily bent to pick it up. In so doing, he knocked his glass of water over and the puddle spread across the tablecloth. Omi appeared and began helping the flustered boy. Harry stood to help as well, but Severus gestured for him to sit. Harry obeyed, but his face was still filled with concern at his friend's reaction. Severus ate as if nothing were going on. It was several minutes before a red-faced Neville was able to speak.

"H-h-how did you know about t-t-that, sir?" he asked nervously.

"A Miss Castle came to me and requested me to tutor you so that you would be ready for her more advanced tutelage once school resumes,” he answered easily and sipped at his wine. The Gryffindor settled back in his chair, too shocked to speak anymore. Of course, Harry wasn't as constrained.

"You met Rowena?" Harry asked curiously. "Was she like a ghost?"

"Yes and no,” Severus answered and ate a few bites before continuing. "Her movement was similar to a ghost, but Hogwarts was able to pour enough energy into the illusion that she looks and feels quite real."

"And she's going to teach Nev how to use his Earth powers?"

"Indeed." Severus smirked. "And I hear she is quite the taskmaster."

Neville groaned. "I have enough trouble in my classes as it is. I don't need anymore."

"I would disagree, Longbottom." Severus set his utensils to the side and stared hard at the boy. "You do poorly because you set yourself up for failure. As much as it pains me to say this, you have the potential to do much better than you are."

"I told you,” Harry said with a smile. "You're really smart. You just work yourself up and that kind of stress would make anyone struggle."

“Exactly," Severus agreed.

Neville blushed in pleased embarrassment. 

Harry and Severus decided to take pity on the boy and turned the conversation to other things. The first thing that came to the Potions Master's mind was to outline what he planned for them. He explained that after breakfast he was going to have a morning therapy session with Harry. During that time, Neville could work on his homework. If he was done with his homework, he was to start an independent study on a topic that interested him. Harry would be released two hours later to do his own school work and Neville would come and take his lesson on meditation with Severus.

They would have lunch together and the boys would have two hours to do as they wished. After that they would meet in the exercise room and spend two hours on physical self-defense and dueling. The hour before dinner was to be spent creatively. In other words, Harry would play the piano and Neville admitted that he did enjoy drawing.

Dinner would be taken together and afterward they would go to the parlor. Severus and Neville would either read quietly together or play chess while Boy was forced Out. Severus explained that the first thing they needed to do for Boy was make him understand human company did not instantly mean pain and punishment. Neville understood and agreed to be present during Boy's therapy. Harry thanked them both. Severus, as usual, waved the gratitude away.

**Chapter end.**


	22. Summer Training and Growing Closer

**Summer Training and Growing Closer**

Harry woke the next morning ready to start the new schedule. He had written to Silas and Gabriel in his journal before going to bed last night and they assured him they were fine, that their barriers had just returned to normal. They agreed to try Severus' idea for helping Boy and would make sure the alter came Out when Harry called.

He was almost dressed when he heard a tapping at the window. He looked out and couldn't see anything. Frowning, he pushed the glass open and a brightly colored bird appeared inside his room. Harry gasped and opened his mouth to scream when he saw the parchment tied to its leg. The bird chirped happily at him and offered the note. Harry took it and smiled as soon as he recognized the handwriting.

_Dear Godson,_

_I've decided to take a bit of a vacation. Right now I'm sitting on a hot beach drinking tropical smoothies with an umbrella. This doesn't mean you've gotten rid of me! I'll be writing you and will expect a ton of letters in return. Moony will stay with me during his moon-time, but he'll be back with you soon. He sends you and Neville his love. Play a good prank on Snape for me and don't forget to take pictures so I can see!_

_Padfoot_

Harry wrote a quick note in reply, wishing his godfather a good time and a promise that he would write more later. He tied the letter to the bird and it soared back out the window and disappeared. Harry shook his head at that and hurried to the bathroom. He was going to be late! He got his hair damp and combed it as flat as he could before rushing downstairs. Severus was already seated, but Neville hadn't arrived yet.

"A bird tapped on my window, but I couldn't see it until it came into my room, and it disappeared again when it left."

"The windows have the portal woven into them as well as the front door,” Severus explained. "Who wrote you?"

“Sirius," Harry answered and handed him the note. Severus sneered at it and handed it back with a look of disgust. Harry accepted it and looked at his teacher through long lashes. "You don't like each other."

“Obviously," Severus answered shortly and turned back to the _Daily Prophet_ that lay on the table in front of him.

Harry could feel true disdain but not hate coming from his teacher. He decided that he could live with that. He would have asked why Severus felt that way about Sirius for curiosity's sake, but the hurt and anger that lay beneath the dislike warned him off the subject. Instead Harry asked how the search was going.

"Well enough for the farce that it is,” Severus answered irritably and Harry wisely fell silent.

They didn't have to wait much longer for Neville, and Omi served them breakfast. No one said anything beyond polite table etiquette and they were all okay with that. Harry could feel Neville's relief and contentment at the comfortable silence and Severus was radiating a deep satisfaction. Harry basked in the peaceful emotions as he ate.

"The library is available should you need it,” Severus told Neville as he finished. "I only ask that you leave the locked books alone."

"Thank you, sir,” Neville answered politely.

Harry waved goodbye as he followed his teacher into the parlor. Severus took his usual position and Harry sat across from him on the couch. He sighed in gratitude as he felt Severus' emotions mute as his teacher prepared for the session. Harry would have found it hard to focus on his own emotions had Severus not drawn back his feelings the way he had.

"How are you coping with the new memories?" Severus began.

Harry clasped his hands in his lap and stared at them nervously. It was a new mannerism that Severus did not fail to notice as it reminded him very much of Rose. He wondered if this stiff posture would take the place of the boy's fidgeting completely. 

The silence dragged on, but Severus felt no need to break it. He waited patiently, just watching the teen. Eventually Harry looked up but didn't quite look him in the eye.

"To be honest, I haven't really looked at the new memories,” Harry admitted. "They're there and I dream every night of the Dursleys, but… it's hard."

Severus smiled tightly. "That's to be expected."

Harry found himself smiling back, the tension in his shoulders loosening. He had the utmost faith that his teacher would make all the problems in his mind shrink to manageable sizes, and this expectation allowed him to open up even more. "It's weird. The things I remember… It's like I'm watching just over my shoulder or something. I can feel what I felt then as Rose, but I feel like me at the same time. So I have two feelings about what I remember. It's uncomfortable and disturbing. I mean, it's me… but not…" He sighed and finally raised his eyes to Severus' hopefully.

"Why don't you give me an example?" Severus leaned forward slightly, bringing his hands up and linking his fingers in front of his lips. Though his feelings were muted, Harry could still see and feel… receptivity. Like, instead of projecting emotions, Severus was a calm pool, observing, accepting, analyzing… absorbing the environment. "Harry?" Severus prompted.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Harry returned his eyes to his lap and tried to think of a good example. As he thought, he was slowly drawn into his memories. His eyes grew distant and his voice was slow, most of his attention on the past and not on his words. The parlor faded and so did his teacher. He was there again on Privet Drive. 

"I'm… I don't know… eight perhaps. Aunt Petunia has invited two ladies over. Both live in our neighborhood. One is plump and merry, she's always shinning with a cheerful excitement, but the colors aren't as bright. It think it's because she's not so smart. The other smiles and says polite things, loves gossip, but she's not happy. In fact, the closest feeling she has to happiness is instead a… satisfied smugness, a sense of superiority. Her face and gestures barely ever match her colors… Well, this is all silent, you understand? I can't hear anything in this memory, but I watch and can tell what they're saying in general that way… Anyway, Petunia offers them tea and they accept. I go into the kitchen for the tea service that I already prepared. I was excited then, excited to be helping, and I really liked these get-togethers. But… but looking back I only feel sad and… embarrassed at myself and for my Aunt. I realize now that she was showing me off. Like you would a prized servant, boasting that no one else had such devoted help… I bring the tea in and I pour. I know Aunt Petunia will ask them what they want in their tea for me since I couldn’t, so I watch their mouths and do as they ask. I'm smiling and attentive and content. It's so nice to be sitting there in their company, sipping from my own tea cup – with no sugar or cream, I wasn't allowed any - and waiting for them to need me to do something. But I can feel their pettiness and weak, shallow emotions. Petunia shines the brightest and that's saying something. None of them feel deeply and I look back and I'm… disgusted, but I'm not at the same time because it's a peaceful moment and as Rose I take… I don't know… satisfaction from being there with them. I… am happy because my Aunt is pleased and satisfied, and she is so rarely satisfied with me, but… but I realize now that the reason she was so content was because I was being the perfect servant. I was silent, still, and attentive to her every desire. It makes me feel small and dislike myself."

Severus looked at Harry closely. The teen had fallen silent and was obviously lost in his own thoughts, most likely other memories. It was going to be hard for him to reconcile the two different emotions and reactions to the same events, but Severus knew he could do it. He was already doing remarkably well. That most likely was due in a large part to the boy's experience with merging Kit.

"Harry…" The boy looked up slowly and his eyes focused first on his mouth before lifting to meet Severus' eyes. "Your Aunt was wrong to treat you the way she did. You realize this?"

Harry nodded tentatively. He knew what his aunt had done was hurtful and cruel; he would never treat anyone the way she had treated him. She had taken pleasure from controlling him, oppressing him, degrading him. It was inhumane, but… but she could have been worse, couldn't she? She had taught him how to cook and tend a garden. She had let him sit next to her when the neighborhood ladies came in. She allowed him to eat the scones and cookies as long as the others were served first. He bit his lip. He wanted to condemn her for what she had done, but he equally wanted to make her love him and be happy with him.

Severus saw this confusion and heard Harry begin to breathe deeply and rhythmically to stem a panic attack. He lowered his hands and spoke steadily, calmly. "You don't need to hate her, Harry. That's not what I'm trying to get you to realize. Instead, I'm hoping to show you that you shouldn't feel ashamed for wanting to please her or for your happiness at her pride. That was what you should have felt for the woman raising you. It was her own weakness and darkness of spirit that brought you her animosity. It was nothing that you did. You did not earn or deserve her malicious behavior."

"I understand, sir,” Harry assured, much calmer. "I know that. I really do. I remember that no matter how well I did something, she was hardly ever satisfied or happy with me. I knew then and I know now that it wasn't anything I did to make her dislike me. It was who I was that she hated and I can't change that."

"No, Harry. She didn't hate you for who you are. She didn't know you. She didn't care to know you. It was what you represented that she hated." Severus sighed. "It's horrible, but that's how it stands. You can't be held responsible for that hate. It began within her and most likely before you were ever born."

"What do you mean?" Harry looked up at his teacher curiously.

"I have seen many cases where a muggle-born witch or wizard is held in awe and esteem by their parents. They are magical and in many ways untouchable. They are something greater than ordinary; they are special. So the parents dote on them, praise them. Non-magical siblings often feel slighted. It is the source of much resentment and bitter hate. It would not surprise me if this happened between your aunt and mother."

Harry remembered what his aunt said that night when Hagrid had come to get him. Something about Lily being beautiful and special, that she was the only one who could see her sister for the freak she was. Harry tried to imagine growing up without magic at all, but having to hear about it and see it in a sibling. It would be awful, and if his parents had ignored him because of it, it would have made him feel a hundred times worse.

Severus watched as Harry thought about the scenario he had put forth and recognized a rising sympathy for his aunt. He interrupted with a firm voice, "Understanding her motivations, the source of her mental illness, does not excuse the injuries she inflicted on you."

Harry didn't protest the word injury. He was well aware that there was more than just physical wounds and couldn't deny his aunt had damaged him. The mere existence of Rose was proof of that. Severus was pleased with the acceptance and offered the boy a rarely given smile. Harry returned the gesture shyly.

"The visits of your neighbors couldn't have happened that often. What do you think about the rest of your time as Rose?" he asked casually.

"Not much." Harry shook his head slightly. "I mean, I don't really disagree with the way I felt as Rose the way I do when other people came over. I'm not bothered by the contentment I felt while cleaning, cooking, or gardening, or with the satisfaction of finishing a job. The lessons in etiquette are a bit embarrassing now that I'm looking back at them, especially since I remember focusing on all the female parts and not the male, but… It was better than being bored. Sometimes Aunt Petunia would get really hateful, but whenever I saw the really dark colors rising I didn't look at her mouth and would continue working or would stare at the floor. I just felt sad when this happened and don't really feel much different now."

"I see." Severus nodded. "And what about the others in the house? I am aware you spent most of your time with your aunt as Rose, but you had to have been exposed to your uncle and cousin to some degree."

"I remember Dudley being exactly how he looked on the outside as on the inside. He was always dissatisfied and uncomfortable. He'd feel smug and gleeful when he thought his mother was hurting my feelings or when I was ordered to serve him, but it was always fleeting. He was never really happy. I pity him, then and now. He didn't even love his parents the way they loved him and that always seemed the worst of it to me. Uncle… His hate was always there. It never left and his colors… they were literally black when he was focused on me. Not even Petunia's got that dark. I tried to stay away from him or to avoid his notice. Otherwise I just endured it. I… I don't really know how I feel about it besides… just being afraid." He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "It really scares me… That black… I've dreamed about it and woke up shaking and nauseous."

"We'll focus on your aunt before we branch out to your uncle,” Severus decided, suspecting they were approaching Boy's territory. "But I think we've done enough for today. Why don't you play piano? Think about what you've learned about yourself and your life growing up. Focus on your aunt. Do not play for fun. You'll have time for that later tonight."

"Yes, Severus." Harry smiled and stood. "Do you want to come listen?"

He inclined his head. "If you will allow it."

"I don't mind,” he assured him and led the way to the music room. 

Even though he could leave his piano there, he still continued to turn it back into a necklace and wear it. He was glad Severus didn't say anything about it when he took it off and turned it back into a piano. He didn't want his teacher to make him leave it.

Harry played for the rest of the two hours until Severus indicated that he should stop. 

"It's time for Neville's lessons." He stood from the chair he had been sitting in and closed the book he had been reading. "And for you to do your homework." Harry mock groaned and was rewarded by a flare of amusement, though Severus' mouth hardly changed. "Get to it, brat."

"Yes, sir!" Harry saluted and quickly said the spell that returned to him his necklace before running, laughing. from the room.

Severus followed at a more dignified pace and turned to go downstairs. Instead of the parlor, he went to the sitting room. Neville was already there and smiled at his entrance. He had chosen this room to teach Neville in because it was larger and had more floor space. He gestured and the young Gryffindor settled cross-legged on the floor. Severus folded gracefully into the same position across from him.

"How are your studies going?" he inquired evenly.

"I'm almost done,” Neville answered without stutter or blush.

Severus inclined his head to acknowledge the improvement. "Have you considered what you'd like your independent study to focus on?"

"I'm not sure,” Neville admitted.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Begin."

Severus watched as several minutes passed. The teen's breathing eventually slowed and deepened, but it didn't quite reach the level of deep mediation, and when he clapped his hands together, Neville jumped and his eyes snapped open. He blushed with his failure to reach the deep meditative state without help, but Severus assured him that this would take time and a lot of practice.

"Listen to my voice,” he said slowly, deeply. "Follow it down… Let it carry you deep inside… There is nothing around you… There are no feelings… There are no smells… There is no darkness and no light… It is silent for all but my voice… You float in this void… You are safe... There is nothing to fear… There is nothing… You exist... You are aware, but you have no thoughts…"

Severus again clapped, but this time Neville didn't register it. The Gryffindor sat completely still, his face completely lax and blank, his eyes closed. His breathing was deep and slow, slower even than a person reached when asleep. Severus waited. The teen wouldn't be able to maintain this state for very long and would rise on his own. So far the longest Neville had been able to maintain this state of meditation was for three and a half minutes. Of course that feels like a lifetime when you are experiencing it, but he hoped to get the boy to be able to enter this state unaided and maintain it for at least fifteen minutes. Neville reached four minutes before slowly returning to awareness.

They repeated this process several times. Neville would try it alone and then Severus would talk him down. He'd remain deep inside himself for as long as possible and then they'd start over again. By the end of the two hours, Neville had been able to maintain the deep state for four minutes and could almost reach it on his own.

"You're making progress,” Severus concluded and rose to his feet.

Neville wasn't near as graceful and staggered on his numb legs. Severus had to catch him before he fell and hit his head on the table. Neville blushed hotly with embarrassment and self-reproach at his clumsiness, but that faded when Severus ignored it completely.

"Before we go to lunch, I wanted to ask if you would like to extend your stay?" the Potions Master asked neutrally.

"Yes!" Neville cried and blushed. "I mean, yes sir. I would very much appreciate being able to stay."

"Then write to your Grandmother pretending to be Professor Lupin and ask for permission to stay an extra week."

"But…" Neville bit his lip.

"I know a spell that will change your handwriting to his,” Severus assured him and urged him to the desk.

Neville sat and wrote the letter. He explained that "Neville" was having more difficulty than expected and requested a few more days to tutor him. He was sure his Gran would agree, especially because of the way he worded it as being both polite and hopeful and yet despairing of his own abilities. He felt uncomfortable with Snape reading over his shoulder, but it was worth it if it got him a few more days here with Harry and away from his Gran's judging, disappointed eyes.

He watched as Snape muttered a spell and tapped the paper five times in different places. Even though he knew what would happen, Neville was still amazed when all the words shifted and looked exactly how Remus would have written them. Even the signature at the bottom matched his teacher's.

"Keep this in mind,” Severus advised as he rolled the parchment up. "Don't blindly trust anything written. If it is important, always gather confirmation." Neville nodded. "I will send this off. I'm sure Harry is waiting for you."

"Thank you, Professor Snape." He smiled and hurried from the room. He couldn't wait to tell Harry that he might not have to go home tomorrow.

**xXxXxXx**

After lunch the boys were released to do whatever they wanted while Severus went down and worked on potions for a couple hours. Harry led his friend up to the game room with a happy smile.

"I challenge you to a game of Snitch Hording!" he said as he went to his favorite game.

Neville laughed. "You know you're going to win."

"Come on, Nev. You can do it. It's not that hard,” Harry coaxed.

The bigger boy sighed as he stepped up to the platform next to Harry. "Alright fine, but after this I challenge you to Blaster."

The Snitch game started up and their hands darted forward. Neville was doing well until the game picked up speed. His hand-eye coordination was average, but he just couldn't move his hand's as fast as Harry. His friend was twisting and striking, grabbing some of Neville's so that the game wouldn't end too soon. They were both panting when the game came to a stop, claiming Harry the winner, five minutes later.

"My arms are killing me,” Neville groaned.

"Shake them out,” Harry advised and demonstrated by shaking his arms and rolling his shoulders. He ran over to the Blaster and lifted a fake wand. Neville came up to his side and picked up the other one.

"I wonder why Snape has these games,” Neville murmured as the screen lit up and the game began. He aimed and shot at the projected monsters and enemies; Harry was doing the same at his side.

"Don't know…" He shook his head. "Look out!"

"I got it,” Neville muttered. "Left!"

"I'm hit!"

"Hey! I hit that one!"

"You have to hit these twice." Harry laughed. "They get harder to kill the more levels you go up."

"Great." Neville glared at the machine. "A plant monster! Is it laughing at us?"

Harry grinned. "I think it is."

"It's going down,” Neville mock growled, making his friend laugh so hard he earned his third hit and was killed. "Now look what you did." He shook his head in despair.

"Again!" Harry cried when he could breathe.

**xXxXxXx**

Two hours later the boys reluctantly left the game room and made their way to their bedrooms to quickly change into something they could workout in. Severus was frowning impatiently when they hurried into the exercise room. He wore black, loose cotton pants and a black T-shirt. The boys wore the same, but their pants were white and Neville's shirt was red, Harry's blue.

"I expect you to be on time,” Severus said darkly. "Two o'clock and no later."

"Yes, sir,” Neville and Harry chorused.

Severus ran them through an exercise program that lasted forty-five minutes. They jogged, jumped-rope, did push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, and worked on the weight machines; spending exactly seven and a half minutes on each without a break. Severus watched them like a hawk and would snap at them if their pace got too slow.

Harry was sweating and panting when their teacher called a halt. Neville was worse. His face was beet red. He wasn't used to physical exertion. His Gran rarely let him run around or do anything strenuous because she feared he'd fall and hurt himself, and he was too afraid of water to go swimming. Severus had mercy and let him rest for five minutes. Harry brought him water and Neville was too sore to feel embarrassment at his lack of strength.

"Alright. On the mats,” Severus barked and the boys scrambled to obey.

Severus demonstrated defensive posture, blocks, and how to kick and punch properly. The boys practiced for half an hour; thighs and arms burning. Another five minute break, which consisted of walking slowly to the dueling room. Severus set up motionless targets and had them practice dueling spells. Neville had to run to his room to fetch his wand and got a lecture about always needing to carry it on him.

"I will get you both holsters to wear on your forearms or around your thigh,” Severus stated with arms crossed. "I don't want to hear you don't have your wand ever again."

"Yes, sir,” the boys said tiredly and continued to fire their spells.

"Eventually I hope to have you both skilled enough to spar and duel each other for practice,” he told them as an incentive. He knew the teens would find that exciting. "First, I have to make sure you won't be able to kill each other accidentally."

**xXxXxXx**

When the rest of the hour was up, Severus dismissed them and strode from the room. The boys sat on the floor, panting. Omi appeared and Harry thanked him profusely for the drinks he brought. Neville groaned around his glass when Severus came back in. Their teacher smirked at their pain and cast cleaning charms on them.

"Get dressed,” he said. "You have an hour before dinner and you will use this time to follow a creative pursuit."

Neville laughed weakly. "I never thought to hear you say that, Professor Snape.”

"You said you were interested in drawing,” Severus said, ignoring the boy's comment and handing him a sketch pad and several pencils that were self-sharpening. All of it was of very good quality. The paper would even glaze so that the work wouldn't smear when the artist was done.

"Thank you." Neville took the tools reverently. "These are amazing." 

Severus nodded once and turned away. 

"Wait, sir? Ummm… I draw landscapes; I'm not so good at drawing people. Do you think I could go outside?"

"I could play out there as well,” Harry added, fingering his necklace.

Severus frowned, but he could see the benefit of the boys getting out for a bit. The sun and fresh air would do them good. "Alright. I will grab a book and join you."

The boys cheered and ran for their rooms to change their clothes. Severus smiled and did the same. In less than four minutes, all three were at the front door. Neville was clutching his sketch pad and pencils, Severus had a thick tome, and Harry had his necklace. They went outside and followed Neville as he looked around for a good view to draw. Eventually he settled about five hundred feet from the house, halfway to the sparse wood.

He settled cross-legged in the grass with a happy smile. Harry found flat ground a few feet behind him and said the words to return his piano to its actual size. Severus summoned a chair and sat facing the boys. Harry's fingers hit the keys gently and he ran up and down the scales. When he was warmed up, he began playing a playful little tune that slowly slid into something calm and beautiful.

All three of them lost track of time, too caught up in the peaceful moment to pay attention. They were startled, therefore, when Omi appeared next to Severus, telling them dinner was ready. Severus thanked the elf as the boys put away their things. Omi smiled joyfully. He hadn't seen his master so at peace in a very long time.

"Can I see, Nev?" Harry asked his friend as they walked back to the house.

Neville blushed and opened his sketch-pad.

"Wow!" Harry's eyes went wide. "I didn't think there could be that many different shades of one color! That's really good!"

"I'm not finished with it,” Neville murmured, embarrassed. No one had asked to see his work or thought it was anything but a waste of time.

"You have talent,” Severus said softly and Neville jumped. He hadn't noticed his teacher coming up beside him. "I'd like to see the finished product."

“O-o-okay," Neville stammered.

"Will you draw me something?" Harry asked. "I want to hang it in my room. Please, Nev?"

"What do you want me to draw?" Neville's blush deepened and he wished he could sink into the ground and hide from all the attention.

"Anything!" Harry smiled and hugged his friend. 

He could see Neville's mortification and pleasure at all the praise. It was a painful combination and he wanted to make it better. His instincts must have been right because as soon as his arms went around his friend's neck the boy relaxed. Harry's smile widened and he practically hung off Neville, making his friend drag him along.

"Harry!" Neville rolled his eyes.

**xXxXxXx**

They had eaten and were pleasantly full. The taste of the delicious chocolate mousse was still on their tongues as they made their way to the parlor. Harry was nervous and twisting the end of his shirt in his hands. This hadn't sounded like a big deal when they talked about it last night, but now he was distinctly nervous. Not really for himself; after all, he wouldn't be there or remember any of it, but for his friend and mentor. He didn't want them to see him… well, he wasn't sure exactly how he acted as Boy, but knew it wasn't pleasant.

"It will be alright, Harry,” Severus reassured as he set up the chess board. 

Neville offered a weak smile.

Harry could feel calm acceptance from his teacher. His colors were steady and imperturbable. Neville was nervous and pitying, but he was also determined and concerned. Harry sighed and sat on his couch. "What is the goal of this again?"

"Boy has been severely traumatized. At the moment, he is unable to conceive that his environment will not hurt him. He can not comprehend people around him not punishing him. We are going to sit here, calmly, and let him slowly grow accustomed to our presence and accept that people will not always equal pain."

"How'd you think of this?" Harry asked, more to stall than because he really wanted to know.

"Actually, Salazar was watching you while you were in your coma and discovered your condition,” Severus said casually. "He swore to keep it secret, but he was intrigued and gave me some insight into your condition that not even Silas has realized. It was he who suggested this and, from my own experience, I fully agree that this will help."

"Hogwarts spoke through Salazar and wants to help me?" Harry was stunned.

Severus let his eyes settle on Harry's, telling him that he wouldn't be allowed to put it off any longer. "Are you ready?"

"You know," Harry smiled nervously, "if all the phantoms are Hogwarts, it's like the castle has DID like me."

Neville laughed. "You have a point. They may have evolved from separate origins and personalities, but have since combined to become the castle."

Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Alright. I'm ready."

Severus and Neville waited with baited breath, not sure who if any of Harry's alters would emerge. Severus hoped that Silas and Gabriel would cooperate, even though things hadn't been resolved between them. This was for Harry's own good, after all, and that should be their main concern. Of course, they had been granted a level of independence that worried Severus. He wasn't sure what Harry's alters were capable of anymore.

Harry opened his eyes and his face twisted into a sneer. "I'll help you do this with Boy,” Silas said stiffly. "But you will tell me what this Salazar told you about us later."

Severus inclined his head in agreement and Silas glared before closing his eyes. 

A second later Harry was cowering on his knees, cringing away from them as he reached a single trembling hand in supplication. "Please don't hurt me I'll be good please I'm sorry I'm sorry don't hurt me please…”

"No one will hurt you. You've been a good boy,” Severus said evenly. He knew Boy wouldn't understand kindness or warmth, so made his tone as firm and matter-of-fact as he could. "Come, Neville. Let's play."

Boy cried and muttered his pleas for almost thirty minutes. Severus and Neville ignored him. Just looking in the broken teen's direction was enough to set Boy off on another round of begging. Eventually Boy fell silent and sat with his knees to his chest and his arms wrapped tight around his legs. He rocked quickly and his shoulders shook every few minutes with his overwhelming terror.

It was hard, but Severus kept his horror and anger tightly reigned in. Neville was shaky and was losing the chess game badly. Seven thirty rolled around and Severus deemed Boy had been Out long enough. It had nothing to do with his own fraying nerves, he promised himself as he knelt by the teen. Boy saw him coming and began to cry hysterically, curling into a protective ball with his arms covering his head.

"Harry. You're alright. Come back, Harry. Everything's fine. You did really well. I'm very proud of you,” Severus said gently; he was careful not to touch the teen.

Neville watched his teacher slowly coaxed Harry back Out and bit his lip. He hated this. He hated seeing his friend like this and hated what his imagination painted in his mind as to what made his best friend so afraid. It made him sick to his stomach. Harry came back and sat up, blinking confused green eyes.

Severus tenderly brushed away the teen's tears and smoothed his hair away from his sweaty face. In contrast to his gentle and caring actions, his voice was devoid of emotion. "We're done. You did well." Severus stood and straightened his robes. "I am going to retire for the night. I suggest you boys don't stay up too late."

"Good night, Severus,” Harry said with warm, glowing eyes. He knew his teacher cared for him. The warm, bright colors were shining down on him as the sun would. He basked in it. It was the first time he had felt such feelings directed toward him from an adult and it touched something deep inside him. Tears sprang to his eyes and he stood and wrapped his arms around his teacher's waist. "Thank you. For everything,” he said thickly.

Severus would have blushed if he hadn't stopped the reaction before it started. He settled for a light sneer and awkwardly patted the small teen on the back. 

Harry released him with a grin and turned to Neville. "Come on! Let's see if Ron has written!"

Neville smiled and chased his friend from the room. They ran upstairs and into Harry's room. They settled on the bed next to each other, and Neville looked over his friend's shoulder as Harry unrolled Ron's parchment in his lap.

_Hey Harry! How are things with you? Seen anything exciting? Hermione wrote me today. She said that we had to agree to disagree about you and that it would be best if we didn't talk about you. I told her that was okay. She's been studying of course, but I'll spare you the details. I wish she had done the same for me. Percy got a job at the Ministry working for a Mr. Crouch. Hardly ever comes home and when he does, he's always yelling at us for being loud because he's working on important reports. Fred and George latest prank was to spell every quill in the house not to write and he about had a heart attack. They've gotten so bad and Percy looks like he's about to go crazy that Mum kicked the twins out of the house for a few days to get some peace. I think they went to some friend's house. Did you know the Quidditch World Cup starts in just over a month! I wish I could go, but I guess it doesn't really matter since England didn't make it to the finals. Well, I have to go. Mum has chores for me. Talk to you later, mate!_

Harry laughed. "He's been talking about the World Cup for half a year!"

"That doesn't surprise me." Neville smiled. "So Hermione finally caved. Sounds like she's still certain she's right."

"I guess." Harry frowned. "I can't really blame her though. I mean, she doesn't know what's going on. Still…. It would have been nice if she had just taken my word for it. I'm not known for exaggerating or lying and she should know that."

"What are you going to tell him you're doing?" Neville asked.

"I don't know. Want to help me think of something?"

"Like what?"

"Well, I don't want to lie to him, but I can't tell him I'm at Snape's secret house either. He still thinks I'm on the run with Sirius. And of course you're supposed to be with Remus and not with me."

Neville shrugged. "Tell him about Disneyland and the movie. Say you went on two different days."

"Alright." Harry began to write. 

When that was done, they still weren't tired, so they sat up talking. 

"Tell me about your home,” Harry asked. "You told me some that night in Gryffindor Tower, but you haven't really said anything more."

"What do you want to know?" Neville asked, hugging a pillow to his chest.

Harry could feel his unease. "You don't have to. I'm sorry I asked."

"No." Neville shook his head. "It's alright…. Well, you know that my family thought I was a squib. But that didn't really start until I was six or seven or so. Before that I lived with just Gran. Great-uncle Algie didn't move in until last summer. Anyway, it was just Gran and I, and she always wanted me to be proper and do my parents proud. She always talked about them. I didn't really understand why they couldn't be with us or why they were sick… Anyway, I was always being yelled at for not sitting right or eating right. I'd get in trouble for making messes and yelled at when I was clumsy. Of course, then I got nervous and got even clumsier until she'd send me to my room. She was always saying how wonderful my parents were. How powerful and talented and graceful. She wanted me to be like them. She'd say, 'Neville, grow up like your father. Be smart like your mother.' But I couldn't quite meet those standards. I always fell short and she'd look at me with disappointment and say, 'You need to work harder, Neville. Make your parents proud.' I tried really hard to be perfect and the best. I was always tense and worried that I would fail. Then the family began to question my magic. They'd throw things at me, poke me, scare me by creeping into my room at night, but no matter what they did I didn't have any bursts of accidental magic. It got to the point where most of the family wasn't talking to me. I was invisible to everyone except my Gran and Uncle Algie. It wasn't long before I just gave up. I just couldn't be as good as they wanted me to be. I was a disappointment and always would be. I accepted it. Uncle Algie saw this and got really mad. He took me to the pier. It was almost noon and a storm was coming in. The ocean was really rough. He grabbed me and flung me off the pier…"

Neville hugged the pillow and shivered. Harry could feel his remembered terror and dark colors rose from him, filled with his despair. Harry wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulders and hugged him tight. Neville smiled and the colors lightened and the terror dulled to fear.

"I almost died. I remember thrashing in the water, trying desperately to get to the surface, but I was confused and the water kept flinging me around. I crashed into rocks and the bottom of the ocean. I broke my arm and was bruised all over when someone finally rescued me. I was barely conscious and coughing up all this water. The salt was everywhere; in my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. I couldn't stand the taste of salt in my food for months after that and I still can't bring myself to get into any body of water. Pools freak me out. Pathetic, huh?"

"Not really,” Harry soothed. "I think I'd be scared of it, too."

"I probably would have died that day if it weren't for the muggle who saved me. My family just stood there. None of them moved to help me. I guess if my magic didn't save me, then I didn't deserve to live. Gran wasn't there. I know she'd have rescued me. She thinks I'm a disappointment, but she loves me. She wouldn't ever hurt me. I'm her grandson, her son's only child. Anyway, four months later, Uncle Algie got a hold of me again and threw me out of a third story window. I was eight and my magic finally manifested. It formed a round shield around me and I bounced when I hit the ground. I bounced and rolled for half a mile before I came to a stop. I was so dizzy and sick, but I was happy, too. I had magic! My family was so excited. Gran was so proud; she didn't lecture me for a whole week no matter how clumsy I was or what I did wrong. I'm Uncle Algie's favorite now. He sends me expensive gifts for Christmas and my birthday, and when he was told he was too old to live by himself, he chose Gran's house because I was there. They were so happy when I got my Hogwarts letter. I was, too. I love them, but I was glad to finally get out of the house. I was scared to death that I wouldn't be put in the same House as my parents. I knew Gran would never forgive me if I didn't get in Gryffindor. I honestly didn't think I would get in. I mean, I'm not brave at all."

"Yes, you are, Nev,” Harry rebuked. "You stood up to Lockhart, didn't you? I couldn't do that."

Neville blushed at the memory, but he felt proud, too. He smiled at Harry and nodded. "That's what the Hat said. He said I would do well in Gryffindor. That I would finally learn to be myself there."

"See!" Harry laughed and swung a pillow around. 

It smacked Neville right in the face. Neville yelled as he grabbed a pillow to hit back. The pillow fight lasted several minutes and didn't stop until they were breathless with laughter. They didn't return to the topic of Neville's family or home-life. Instead Harry showed Neville Sirius' letter and described the exotic bird that had brought it. Neville and Harry wrote him back using the same paper.

"Do you think we should?" Harry asked thoughtfully.

"Should what?" Neville asked curiously.

Harry smiled mischievously. "Prank Severus."

"I don't know." Neville bit his lip. "He could get mad."

"Not if we do it right." Harry got on his knees on the bed, his face excited. "He'll think its funny, I promise! We just can't ruin anything or make it permanent."

Neville sighed. "What do you have in mind?"

"I don't know. What do you think?" Harry asked, falling back.

"Let's think about it later,” Neville suggested and yawned. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to take a bath and go to bed."

"Alright. Goodnight, Nev. I love you." Harry gave him one more hug and waved goodbye.

Neville laughed and shook his head. "Love you too, Harry."

Harry settled back on his bed happily. He was tired, but a bath sounded good. He'd wait until Neville was done and would write in his journal until then. He had a lot to write about. He felt like he had been sleeping all this time and was just now awake. He wasn't used to _feeling_ so much and for so long. It was tiring but nice.

He had just finished his entry when he heard Neville leave the bathroom and go into his room. Harry jumped up and grabbed his pajamas. He turned the bath on hot and soaked for a good half-hour. He would have stayed even longer than that, but he was tired. He got out of the heavenly tub and into his pajamas. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

He was only still for an hour before his eyes opened again and Silas stood. The Slytherin teen dressed quietly and efficiently. He didn't feel comfortable going to talk to the Professor in pajamas. He listened before stepping out into the hall, but there was no sounds coming from Neville's room. Silently, he slipped into the hall and headed downstairs. He didn't bother calling Omi and asking where Snape was. He knew where he'd be. Sure enough, he found the Potions Master sitting behind his desk in his office, patiently waiting. 

"Hope I haven't kept you,” Silas sneered.

"Have a seat." Severus gestured to the one across from him.

"No thanks. I think I'll stand." Silas stepped into the room and leaned against the wall next to the door.

"Before we start I'd like to know where you stand,” Severus said, trying to prompt the teen.

Silas crossed his arms. "Funny. I was going to ask the same of you."

"Harry is your main concern?"

"He is."

"Why did you let him go off with Black?" Severus asked casually, but his eyes were hard.

"Black is good at hiding. I was aware of the risk, but I had some faith in the ex-Auror's ability to keep us hidden. Gabriel was all for it and Harry was tempted. I stated my case and it was agreed we'd go."

"You spoke to him,” Severus leaned forward, eager for the explanation.

"Where do you stand, Snape?" Silas returned in a gentle purr.

Severus sat back. He knew that was fair. He had asked a question and Silas had answered. It was his turn now. "I stand at Harry's side. Like you, I want what's best for him." Seeing the teen's disbelieving face, his own hardened. "What would you have had me do? The Headmaster had just exhausted himself reinforcing the wards of the castle against a storm of Demon's making. Weasley and Granger were telling him stories of Harry's strange behavior and reminding him of that disastrous week in November when you and Gabriel tag-teamed in Harry's classes. He was also suspicious of all the detentions Harry had been serving. I did all I could to ensure Harry was not sent back to the Dursley's. Granted, the Headmaster now knows about you and Gabriel, and that wasn't planned or desired, but it was preferable to the alternatives. What would you have done if he had found out about Demon and the power he possesses?"

"Are you taking credit for that remaining secret?" Silas asked with narrowed eyes.

"I was the only adult witness of the storm and I told him that it came in over the forest. He would have investigated further if it weren't for that account." Snape stood and his voice turned brittle and dark. "I don't have to sit here and justify myself to you. I don't like the Headmaster knowing of Harry's condition anymore than you do. The question now is can we work the situation back to our advantage and I believe we can."

Silas said nothing for a while. He just studied the man before him. Severus waited for the judgment to fall. Things would be a hundred thousand times more difficult if Silas was working actively against him. He needed the Slytherin's support. Especially since he was the regulator for the other alters and had the strongest influence over Harry.

"Alright. I can accept that for now,” Silas answered and stepped forward to sit in the seat he had refused earlier. "But be warned that I am watching you, and should you hurt Harry, I am prepared to hurt you in return. Badly."

The scary thing was Severus didn't doubt that Silas had the knowledge and capability to hurt him. He nodded solemnly in understanding, remembering what he had done to Lockhart and wondering what equal horrors Silas was capable of.

“Good," Silas purred, this time with satisfaction and not threat. "Why don't you tell me what Salazar told you about us? In return, I will share details of Harry's current condition and explain our brief telepathic communications."

Severus agreed to that and explained what Salazar theorized about Demon's origin, current state, and the alter's implications. Silas listened silently, eyes dark and thoughtful, and told him what he wanted to know without commenting about Voldemort's possible link to Demon.

"When we woke from our comas, the boundaries between us had blurred and shifted. Only Boy was able to come Out. The rest of us were locked in our soul rooms and denied access to the community sitting room. Rose was asleep, as was Demon, but Gabriel was awake and I could talk to him. The same as if I were to step into the hall and speak to you. We were aware of what was happening around Harry like normal but found he could hear us as well if we shouted. So our ability to protect Harry was limited. He was vulnerable and all we could do was guide him away from situations he could not handle on his own. Of course, Gabriel couldn't quite grasp that and thus his support of the trip with Black. In any case, Rose's door is gone. Harry hasn't healed completely, the doorframe is still scarred into the wall, but accepting love and the need for approval and all that that entails has stabilized him and returned the boundaries back to the way they should be."

Severus folded his fingers before his mouth. "I see."

"How is the search coming?"

"Dumbledore is letting up a bit and beginning to accept the fact that Harry might not be found until he returns voluntarily to Hogwarts for the next school year."

"And the Ministry?"

"I only know that they've reached another dead-end with no fresh leads."

Silas nodded and stood to leave. "For what it's worth, I do not approve of Harry loving you. Or, for that matter, caring that deeply for anyone, but I will not stand in his way since it is something he obviously wants. At the same time, don't expect me to sit back and do nothing if this newfound emotion begins to be used against him."

"I understand,” Severus said softly, but Silas was already gone.

**Chapter end.**


	23. Secrets

**Secrets**

Severus stepped out of the fire and into the headmaster's office at Hogwarts. Dumbledore looked tired and didn't even offer a single lemon drop. Severus took the seat the older man offered and asked if he had been called in to rejoin the search.

"No." Dumbledore sighed. "I've called a halt to the active search. We will just have to hope that any damage done to Harry is repairable when he returns."

_Repairable? The damage you caused, old man, is much more irreparable than what the mutt could ever do. You're just concerned your weapon is slipping through your fingers,_ Severus thought viciously but hid the anger behind thick Occlumency barriers.

"The Order will remain on watch, but I must give my attention to the events of the upcoming school year,” Dumbledore continued, ignorant of his spy's true feelings. "I've called to ask you to keep your ears open in your old circles in case news of Harry reaches those quarters."

"Of course, Headmaster." Severus inclined his head. "But what events are you referring to? You usually don't begin preparations for the school year until the middle of August."

"The Ministry has been trying to reinstate the TriWizard Tournament and they have finally succeeded. The process to determine the tournament's host has been completed. It will be held here."

Severus grimaced with annoyance, causing the headmaster to regain a bit of a twinkle in his eye. With everything that the Potions Master would be dealing with this year, he definitely didn't look forward to even more brats crowding the hallways. The monsters were hard enough to tame in the classroom and it would be neigh impossible with their tiny brains fixated on the tournament. On top of all that, Harry would be in danger. Allowing so many foreign students, teachers, and officials within reach was nothing if not a security risk.

Dumbledore nodded with a humorless smile. "Yes. You see my difficulties. There is much to prepare and work-out. The search must be called off. I will also need you, along with the rest of the staff, to return to school earlier than normal to help prepare."

"What day?" he asked through gritted teeth. He hated to have his free time restricted in any way. He had so little of it that it was precious to him and Dumbledore knew it. He'd been at the man's beck and call all summer so far. It was not a happy feeling, this leash around his neck nor did it help that he knew he was the one to help the headmaster put it there. Severus shook his head. He'd been around the mutt and wolf too long; all his metaphors carried a canine theme.

"Just a week early, Severus." Dumbledore chuckled at his spy's sour face. "August 7th."

"Until then." Severus stood and bowed.

"Enjoy your holiday, my boy."

**xXxXxXx**

Neville got stiffly to his feet. It was about ten in the morning and he had been working on his meditations with Professor Snape when the man called a halt and said he'd return shortly. Neville sighed and sat in one of the sitting room's chairs. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Gran's response to his forged letter asking for permission to stay.

It had come that morning during breakfast and had been addressed to Professor Lupin, but Snape's owl had given it to him. He had scanned it, flushing red, before announcing he could stay until July thirty-first. Professor Snape had nodded indifferently and Harry had offered an uncertain smile, worry and curiosity in his bright green eyes. 

He lifted the letter to read it again:

_Monday, June 23rd_

_Dear Professor Lupin,_

_You have my deepest gratitude for taking the time to better Neville's academic standing. I've long past learned to accept certain deficiencies in his demeanor and understanding but have seen some improvement since he has accepted the teaching at your hand. I have no objections to his stay being extended as long as you are sincere that he is no inconvenience to you or your holiday plans. I'm sure Neville will only benefit from any time you can spare him and I am willing to allow him leave to remain with you until July the 31st. If it would be better that he return sooner, inform me of a better date and I will make the necessary arrangements. Otherwise, I will be glad to pick him up via floo the morning of his birthday. He is not allowed to floo alone, as I may already have told you. He tends to come out at wrong fireplaces and often with injury._

_Sincerely,_

_Augusta Longbottom_

_Matriarch of the Longbottom family_

Neville lowered the letter, his hand shaking. He wasn't sure how he felt. He was embarrassed that his Gran would say such things to his mentor. He was angry that she thought so little of him. He was angry at himself for being angry at her since she had every right to be disappointed; he was a screw-up. He felt guilty. He shouldn't be here. He was only getting in the way.

Professor Snape had enough to deal with without him underfoot and Remus was busy taking care of Sirius and had his own condition to deal with. And Harry… Harry was trying to come to terms with his alters and the past. He didn't need Neville around. He was only distracting and worrying Harry. The smaller boy's empathy was powerful. There was no hiding from it, so every negative emotion and thought that drew Harry's attention only made Neville feel worse because he shouldn't be depressed or unhappy. He should be thankful for everything that everyone was doing for him. He should write back home and say he needed to go home early. That would free Professor Snape to focus his time on Harry and give Harry the room to get better without Neville's dead-weight. 

Neville's fist clinched around the letter. He didn't want to go home, and even if he did, he'd only upset Harry. His friend wouldn't understand why he was leaving. He laughed grimly and put his head in his hands. He was so ashamed and disgusted with himself. He was weak. Here Harry was, fighting to conquer the horrors he had been through and Neville was falling apart because of a stupid letter. 

Neville shook his head and walked quickly to the bathroom. The only reason Harry thought he was strong was because he’d attacked Lockhart, but Harry didn't know the truth. He had lashed out, yes. He had wanted to kill the bastard, and not only because Lockhart had hurt him, he was furious that the man had hurt Harry, but as angry as he was he hadn’t been able to kill the pedophile once and for all. He had crumbled at the last minute, aware that just a bit more pressure, the man's chest and heart would collapse. Afraid, in shock, and angry, Neville had turned and left Professor Snape to deal with it. Because he couldn't follow through.

He hadn't been strong or a hero like Harry thought. Even now he was torn over what happened. On one hand, Lockhart had done horrible things and should pay. On the other, Neville felt sick at how close he had come to murder. No, he wasn't strong at all. Not like Harry was. Harry could still smile, still cared about people in a way Neville couldn’t. Harry knew his place and was secure there. He could give hugs and play and laugh while Neville fought to do any of that. He still tensed up when Remus or Professor Snape touched him. It made him feel uncomfortable and nervous. He knew it was because of Lockhart, but he couldn't break free of that bone-deep fear or disgust. 

No. He was weak. Harry was the strong one, and no matter what Neville did, stay or go, he was hurting his only friend. He was pulling Harry back down to the dark place he was fighting so hard to be free from. Shaking, Neville ran to the bathroom. He could hardly breathe and his chest was so tight he almost cried out. 

Desperately, he swished his wand and summoned a razor. He slid it smoothly over his arm. Red blood and stinging pain answered. It washed over him and pushed back the hysteria and depression until he could breathe normally. He drew the razor across his skin. Icy tears stung his cheeks. He hated them. Tears were a sign of weakness. He was so pathetic.

Another cut and his now dry eyes were held tightly closed as he fought to focus only on the feel of his warm blood dripping down his arm, over his hand, off his fingers. Focus only on the small stinging pains until nothing was left in his head, until there were no more thoughts or truths to hurt him. No other pain than the pain he could control.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus stepped into the house with a big smile. He couldn't wait to see the boys. He opened his mouth to call them and froze. Blood; he could smell it. Forgetting everything, Remus ran through the house following the red scent. He came to the downstairs bathroom and threw it open. Neville's head snapped up with a gasp of surprise. Tears stained his round cheeks and his sleeves were pushed up revealing scars and bleeding cuts. A razor clattered to the floor from the teen's slack grip.

"P-p-profes-s-sor!"

Remus moved forward slowly, shock and painful understanding breaking his heart as he knelt and gathered the frightened boy into his arms. Neville stood stiff and tense, but when Remus whispered that he understood and that everything would be okay, the teen melted into him and began to cry.

They stood like that for several long minutes before Neville pulled away, wiping at his face in shame. Remus gave him some space to pull himself together and banished the razor and blood from the floor. When the teen was breathing easily again, Remus gently took Neville's arms into his hands and began to heal them.

"I don't think any less of you or think that you're weak or disgusting."

"H-h-how did you k-k-know…"

"How did I know what you were thinking?" Remus smiled sadly. "Because it was what I thought when my friends caught me cutting in my third year."

Neville stared at him with wide eyes.

"Yes. I used to cut. Started when I was about nine; four years after I was bitten. The transformations… They were agony, torture. On top of that, I was shunned by everyone except my mother and even she was afraid. I was alone and the pain I faced every month had me hysterical with terror. I tried to kill myself, but only made a little cut. The small sting shocked me into thinking clearly. I couldn't even call it pain really. It was nothing like the full moon. I did it again, testing. It made everything in my head fade away. Everything went away except that stinging cut and the blood that I _chose_ to spill. I could stop it whenever I wanted. I could control it."

“Yes," Neville breathed, too shocked over someone knowing exactly what he was feeling to be embarrassed.

"Cutting kept me sane for a while, but then I became addicted. I felt edgy if I didn't cut for long periods of time. I'd make up excuses or dwell on problems so I would get worked up so I could go cut. Instead of helping me deal with my problems, instead of letting me feel in control, it was controlling me and chaining me to my problems. I couldn't get over them, could I? I couldn't move on or I wouldn't have a reason to cut and I _needed_ to cut. I would never have been able to stop if it weren't for my friends finding out. It was hard and took a long time, but when the day came that I no longer thought of reaching for the razor I was free for the first time in forever. It was one of the best feelings in the world and it was amazing how light I felt."

Neville was hugging himself, tears in his eyes. He knew his teacher was going to try and get him to stop and that sent panic through him, and that desperation told Neville that he really was addicted. Fear and self-loathing chocked him and his fingers longed for the thin handle of a conjured razor.

"Let me help you,” Remus whispered. "Let me help carry this weight."

Neville nodded jerkily, but he pulled away when Remus went to hug him again. 

The werewolf's amber eyes warmed with sympathy and understanding as he backed out of the bathroom. Rage for a split second filled Remus. He wished he could hunt Lockhart down and kill him for what he had done to his boys, but he pushed it away as he led the shaken teen to the sitting room where they could talk.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was working diligently on his homework up in his room. He had asked Silas why he had to do homework if his Slytherin alter already knew the information. Silas had written back that he needed to know the information as well. He couldn't come out every time Harry needed to answer a question in class. Harry understood that. He hadn't been complaining about the work, he had just been curious.

Neville and Severus were downstairs mediating and Harry hoped that everything was going well. He himself was almost half-way through his Transfiguration essay. A tapping at the window had his head coming up in curiosity. He rose with a smile, expecting another letter from Sirius, but the regal Eagle-owl that flew into the room on silent wings was definitely not from Sirius.

Silas had a pretty strong guess as to whom the owl was from. He reached and firmly pressed the alters into sleep and gently took Harry's place while siphoning the last few minutes from Harry's memories. Smirking in satisfaction, he stretched lithely and approached the bird perched on the back of his desk-chair. The bird's round eyes stared at Silas and the teen stared right back with guarded eyes.

Eventually the bird ducked its head in a nod and offered its foot and the letter attached to it. Silas calmly cast a dozen spells, all checking for traps or magic on the paper and bird. They all came back clean and he tugged the letter free. The bird hooted but made no move to leave.

"Come back at midnight,” he ordered absently. "I'll have your answer then."

The bird hooted again, this time with an approving note. 

Silas sneered; had the bird really expected him to allow it to intimidate him into rushing his reply? It was a magnificent bird, though, he thought as he watched it fly out the window. It was almost three times larger than Hedwig. 

Settling into his chair, Silas opened the letter and began to read:

_Greetings, Potter._

_I've heard some interesting things about you this summer. A certain lion cub has wondered into the snake pit and carries interesting stories about the dynamics in the lion's den. Paired with your rebuke at my lack of cunning, I couldn't help but become curious._

_This is not to say my feelings toward our rivalry have lessened, but I thought I'd offer a ceasefire, if you will, of a temporary nature. It would give me the opportunity to possibly gather new information and, of course, you may be able to get the same from me regarding both my source in your midst and about my esteemed father._

_Send me word of your agreement and let the negotiations begin._

_Sincerely,_

_The Snake Prince_

"Sincerely _treacherous_ ,” Silas snorted. A silky smile spread across his face.

Malfoy's offer was intriguing indeed. The thought of testing his wits against the pureblood was thrilling, especially since he knew he already held the position of advantage. It was fun to toy with the Slytherin Prince. He remembered the blond's expressions the last few times he had engaged in this verbal duel, and they were deliciously satisfying.

He knew this was a risky game and his position of control could be flipped at any moment and given to the Slytherin, but that made it all the more exciting. Silas was intelligent and cunning. He had absolute confidence that he would recognize the point where the young blond might be a real threat and get out before that happened, and he'd be lying to himself, which was very unSlytherin, if he didn't admit that the identity of Malfoy's Gryffindor source was important to him. He and the others would be in danger with such a leak present. Of course, Silas could find Malfoy's informant without going through the blond, but as long as the Slytherin was willing to play, he might as well see what he could get out of it. 

Decided, Silas began to craft his answer:

_Dearest Serpentine Prince,_

_I can't say that I am surprised at such a proposition. I have been expecting something of the like for a while now. Your source in my Tower is hardly surprising. Let's just say we are equal in this as in many things, but I am curious as to what you could have heard to prompt such a diplomatic letter. It was very well written and peaceable. I think it deserves a reward, so here is my answer._

_Keep this correspondence clean of any magic and free of petty insults and you have yourself a pen-pal, as the muggles say, although I'm sure the term associate would sit better on your pureblood ears. In any case, be sure to only send letters at midnight. If I suspect any foul play, be certain that I will get revenge. Be very, very sure you are willing to risk my wrath before you make such a move._

_Enough of the pleasantries, my prince, let me move on to more appetizing subjects. You hinted that you hold tasty information in regards to your honored father. Please share your news. I am ready to congratulate or consol as the situation deems appropriate. As for your reference to being interested in the politics of the House of Lions, please be more specific and I will share any secret that could soothe your curiosity, but if your real interest lies in me, be assured that when I know your question, I will answer you as best as I think you deserve._

_Yours,_

_One with many faces_

"This will be fun,” Silas purred as he licked his lips in anticipation.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry blinked down at his essay. Maybe he should put it away for a bit if he was going to start daydreaming over it. He moved to roll it up neatly when the prickling at his neck increased. Stilling, Harry let his eyes go unfocused and reached out with the weird sense that he had acquired from Rose. Emotional pain answered and he knew immediately that it was from Nev and Remus. Harry ran from the room and found his friend and teacher in the sitting room talking quietly. Nev looked relieved when he came in, but Harry could feel that his relief was also tainted with shame. Remus went happy at seeing him, but again there were dark emotions clinging to the reaction just like with Nev.

"Hi, Remus,” Harry said happily, suspecting that asking about the tension in the room would make it worse. It would be better to just distract everyone. "How's Sirius?" He went over and gave the man a hug.

Remus returned the embrace with a smile. "He's doing better, but it will take some time before he will be able to come and see you."

"That's alright,” Harry assured him with a warm smile. "I just want him to get better. I got his letter, but I haven't had time to really write back like I want." He turned his attention to his friend and plopped down next to him, smiling happily. "Want to help me with it, Nev? Wait…" His smile turned into a frown as he looked around. "Where's Severus?"

Neville shrugged. "He said he had something he needed to take care of and that he'd be back soon."

"Why don't you two go work on that letter then." Remus laughed. "You aren't going to get very many opportunities to skip out on lessons now that you're staying with Severus."

"Thanks, Remus!" Harry smiled and grabbed Neville's hand. "Come on, Nev. Let's go write Sirius. We still need to think up a prank, too. Maybe we can get Omi to help. He'll know what Severus will think is funny…"

Harry's voice faded away as the boys went out of hearing range. Remus smiled. The green-eyed boy was doing very well. The smile wilted. Was Harry doing too well? Neville still rejected casual touch, still haunted, though not as badly as before, by Lockhart. Shouldn't Harry show similar behavior? Remus shook his head. Neville and Harry were different. Neville wasn't treated overly affectionately nor did he have kind relatives, but he wasn't as starved for human contact as Harry was. It was only reasonable that Harry was craving touch now that it was being offered despite what Lockhart did to him. 

With a sigh, Remus decided that he should at least mention it to Severus just to be sure.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville helped Harry write to his godfather. They told the ex-convict all about their day and what they were learning. Harry was tempted to write about his condition, but his hand froze and he sighed. Either Silas or Gabriel didn't like that idea. With a frown, he decided to obey, but he'd have to remember to ask about it later. Instead, he went into great detail about playing piano outside and Neville's talent at sketching. Neville blushed hotly at this and Harry laughed.

"So what do you think we should do as a prank?" Harry asked his friend when they ran out of things to write. "Sirius will want to know our plans."

Neville shrugged. "I don't know."

Harry could feel his nervousness and slight fear. "Nev. I promise we won't do anything bad. I just think it will be fun. Especially if we get Severus to laugh, too."

"What do you mean?" Neville asked, his curiosity pricked. "How will you do that?"

"How will _we_ do that,” Harry corrected with a gentle smile. "Omi!"

"Yes, young Harry?" Omi asked as he popped into the bedroom.

"We want to play a joke on Severus, but we don't want him to get mad or hurt. We just want to laugh with him. Have any ideas?"

"I don't know, sirs…" Omi trailed off, tugging thoughtfully on his ear. "Hmmm…"

"Maybe we can switch his tea for coffee?" Harry offered.

"That wouldn't work." Neville shook his head. "He would be able to tell instantly and it's not very funny, either. Maybe we can charm something to sing and dance in front of him without warning."

"I know!" Omi shouted excitedly and began to dance around the room shouting his triumph. The boys laughed at his antics and it took a bit of persuasion to get the little elf to explain. "We can turn you into little Masters!"

"What do you mean?" Neville asked in confusion.

"That's a great idea!" Harry crowed. "He won't be able to tell us apart! How do we do it, Omi?"

"I'm not certain…" Omi frowned. "But I can get you robes that will match Master's…"

"Thanks, Omi! You're the best." Harry smiled brightly. "I'll call you to let you know when we're ready."

"You're welcome, sirs." Omi bounced happily and disappeared.

"Harry, I don't know…" Neville began.

Harry answered while rushing over to his journal, "It will be fine as long as we don't mock him." Then he grabbed the pen and began to write. _Silas, do you think you can help with the prank.? Do you know of anything that will turn us into miniature Snapes?_

_Possibly,_ the alter answered. _Maybe Polyjuice combined with a shrinking charm? But the proportions wouldn't be right. Let me think about the miniature part. It will take a while for you to make Polyjuice anyway._

_Hermione made that in 2nd year, right?_

_Yeah, but you're no Granger._ Silas smirked. _Maybe we can get the elf to buy it. Stealing it from Snape won't be a good idea. That might give you away. I'm sure that man keeps a close eye on his potions._

_I'll ask. Thanks, Sy._

There was no answer to that. Harry looked over to Neville and explained what Silas had come up with. Neville reluctantly agreed that it sounded like a plan. Harry cheered and called Omi to ask if it were possible. The elf said it was, but he wouldn't have it for another couple of days. Harry assured him that was fine and to take his time.

Severus returned home then and, because it was close to eleven thirty, they decided to have lunch and return to their schedule after they ate. Remus ate with them and took the long letter from Harry, promising to give it to Sirius. Harry thanked him with another hug. The werewolf left, promising to be back again soon, and their lessons went on like the day before.

When Neville and Harry finally went to sleep for the night, Silas came Out after Harry slept for a few hours and went down to the library. He researched advanced Charms and Transfiguration that could help with Harry's prank, but he got bored with it and instead grabbed a book of Hexes and went up to the dueling room to practice. He stopped when it got close to midnight and went to his room. He only had to wait a few minutes before Malfoy's owl came tapping at his window. Silas allowed it entrance and checked it over for magic. Again it was clean. Smirking, he attached his reply to Draco. The owl flew away and Silas went back to studying and practicing.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke the next morning to a tapping at his window. He opened it and a brightly colored bird flew in with a cheerful squawk. It bore a letter from Sirius. Harry ran to Nev's room and jumped on his friend's bed. The boy muttered darkly, but he was soon smiling back at his friend. Harry began to read out-loud.

_Hey Pup,_

_Thank you for the long letter! It was great! Congrats, Neville, on your extended stay. We'll have to plan some fun to do all together. Moony speaks of you highly and the prank you and Harry came up with is bloody brilliant. It brings tears of joy to my eyes to watch the next generation of Marauders at work._

_Anyway, I had a great thought on the independent study Snape's making you do once you're homework's done. I just wanted to throw the idea of becoming Animagus your way. We could make our own Pack! Think of all the possibilities!_

_I know you're still young and it will take months, maybe years, but it's saved my life and is loads of fun. Let me know if this is the direction you go in. I have tons of books that will help._

_Love,_

_Padfoot_

Neville blinked. "Wow. Animagi."

"You could do it, Nev." Harry said softly, feeling the boy's desire and doubt. "You're stronger than you think. It's a great idea! Yes, we should definitely pick that as our independent study. I bet you'd be a huge tiger or something."

"You'd probably be a fluffy kitten!" Neville laughed. "Come on. We're going to be late for breakfast."

Harry laughed and raced from the room, only to bump into Severus. "Sorry!" He smiled up at his mentor. "Are we late?"

"You could say that,” Severus sneered. "Hurry up."

"Yes, sir!" Harry said with mock seriousness and ran to his room.

Severus turned and went downstairs. He had heard the boys carrying on while heading for the dinning room himself. He had thought to drop in to hurry the boys along, but he had frozen as he heard Neville's innocent remark about Harry being a kitten. He watched closely for any reaction from Harry at all, but there had been none. His mouth tightened into a grim line. It looked like the Wolf's worry held some merit. Harry really had pushed the Lockhart situation away so he wouldn't have to deal with it. Well, he would take care of that, and he'd have to check the boy wasn't doing the same with Rose.

**xXxXxXx**

"We're going to talk about something new today."

"What about?" Harry asked as he settled into the couch across from his teacher. He was secretly glad that they weren't discussing his life as Rose in the Dursley household. The last two mornings that had been the topic, and as much as he knew he needed to talk about this stuff, it was really difficult.

“Lockhart," Severus answered, eyes unblinking and watching every move the teen across from him made. Harry blinked in bewilderment and Severus pushed for a more telling reaction. "I know we haven't talked about him recently and I wanted to make sure that you haven't been having any more bad dreams."

"Oh!" Harry smiled. "No. I'm doing fine. I think I'm over what happened. Really," he insisted when he saw Severus frown.

"I see." Severus leaned forward earnestly. "Remember how I told you that just because you merged with Kit that didn't mean you were over what happened and that it will take time."

“Yes," Harry said curiously.

"Well, it is a bit strange that you are over it so quickly. Even facing Lockhart wouldn't explain your sudden… equanimity. What happened to you was horrific. It worries me that you…"

"Enough!" Gabriel leapt to his feet and glared at the black-eyed man.

Severus made his face go blank and he leaned back in his chair. He was surprised by the sudden switch, but he wouldn't let it ruffle him.

"What's your problem? Are you afraid that Harry has recreated Kit or something? Well, he hasn't. Harry has moved on. Sure, it still affects him, but there's nothing left to say about the situation. Now he just has to move on, so let him. So what if he puts Lockhart on the back burner? He has enough to deal with that you _can_ help him with. Alright? So do what you're supposed to do and help with Rose, and leave well enough alone!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that,” Severus answered calmly. "My job, as you so put it, is to make sure that Harry is as whole and strong as he can be. Avoiding the Lockhart problem will only weaken him and hurt him in the long run."

"You can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to,” Gabriel growled. " _That_ would be hurting him."

"I can encourage him to deal with it,” Severus countered.

"Deal with it?" Gabriel scoffed. "It's not that clean cut, Snape, and you know it. There is no dealing with it. You can't calculate and categorize the hurts that bastard inflicted and then shelve them with a happy 'There, all better'. That shit leaves behind deep scars, and deep scars never truly go away completely. He's done well enough with healing the psychological damage done by that scumbag. I'm telling you to leave it alone. He's having a hard enough time facing everything that deals with Rose. Focus on that."

"How do you know what's best for Harry?" Severus sneered. "That's right; you don't. I do. And I'm not letting him hide from Lockhart. That would just be reinforcing his avoidance habit."

Gabriel's eyes burned bright with anger and he reached for his wand, but he froze in mid-motion. His body relaxed and Silas re-took his seat, crossing his legs in front of him. It was an unconscious defensive gesture that Silas usually avoided and that told Severus more than words ever could about the alter's mind-set. He wondered what had the usually calm and confident teen so nervous.

“Severus," Silas greeted with a tilt to his head.

“Silas," he greeted back. 

The teen subtly took a deep breath and uncrossed his legs, sitting with graceful insolence. There was nothing left in his posture that hinted at weakness, but that didn't erase the memory of the original slip. 

"Come to support the Gryffindor?" he asked with a slight sneer.

"I have,” the teen drawled. "It's rare, but sometimes Gabriel is right. He's right in this case, Snape. Leave it."

"No." Severus leaned back and waited for a response.

“No?" Silas repeated. He lifted his hand and studied his nails. His eyes slid past his hand and pierced the black ones before him. 

Severus had to stop the instinctive move to tilt his head so his hair would fall into his face and create a barrier between him and that sharp gaze.

"It doesn't matter what you think,” Silas said softly. "Trying to force Harry to face and heal the remaining trauma left in… _that bastard's_ wake will be pointless. It has been locked out of his awareness. He is aware of what happened, but only in an objective sense and the details are thoroughly blurred. Overall, he has a general inclination not to think about it. So you can see that any effort on your part to force him into that area will only bring you both frustration. It is not within his reach any longer."

"That is unacceptable,” Severus said chillingly.

"It will have to be,” Silas answered back just as unyielding. Suddenly his eyes hardened and a fierce glint entered them. It was enough for Severus' growing anger to morph into concern. "I give you my word that the problem is being faced and is not forgotten." The hatred was quickly buried as the teen brought his attention back to the professor across from him. He smiled silkily. "In the end, it doesn't matter which of us faces a problem. That is what you theorize with Boy and why you are trying to heal him before the merge back with Harry. You can hardly protest against the same being done in this case."

Severus didn't know what to say. He knew by the teen's reactions and words that it was Silas who absorbed the remaining psychological wounds of Kitten. He felt he knew the alter fairly well and he didn't think that the callous, cynical youth would benefit from further abuse, but it was also true that the overall damage in Rose was much greater than Kitten who was "alive" for a much shorter time. It really might be best for Harry to focus on that alone.

“Alright," he finally spoke. "I see the reasons behind the shift in awareness, but that means you will have a therapy session with me as well as Harry."

Silas sneered in answer.

"You will, Silas,” Severus said warningly. "As you said, Boy is being treated before merging back with Harry because to do otherwise would leave Harry insane. The same can be said for this. If this isn't dealt with in a healthy manner, then when you merge with Harry, you'll only be breaking him."

"I am dealing with it,” Silas said evenly, keeping his disgust and fury hidden.

Severus knew if he said anything to that statement it would only be provoking the teen. Silas stared back, unflinching. Severus reached forward, Silas shifted without conscious control further into the couch and away from his hand. Severus pulled his hand back with a blank face. Silas glared and rose fluidly to his feet.

"I did not claim to be perfectly fine, but I will face this without your help."

"We will meet twice a week,” Severus answered as if not listening to the teen. "If you do not show, then I will have to explain the situation to Harry and Gabriel. You are allowing yourself to be a liability and are pandering to a weakness. That is unacceptable."

Silas' eyes were glinting again and his hands were clinched into fists. Without a word, he stalked from the room. 

Severus didn't stop him. He sighed tiredly and rubbed at his head. This explained a lot actually. It explained Silas' violent reaction to his seeming betrayal and his lack of protests against going off with Sirius, but he would have to tread very carefully. Healing a Slytherin was always much more difficult than healing anyone from another House. Slytherins had mental jungles, and it was immensely difficult to get through those mental and emotional barriers and reach the root of any problem. The more sensitive the trauma, the more difficult it was going to be.

_Why is it that every time I think I might be making progress with this child, I always turn around and find that I'm right back where I started?_ he asked himself wearily as he stood and made his way to the sitting room and the other fragile Gryffindor who was waiting for him.

**xXxXxXx**

_What was that about?_ Harry asked. He was sitting up in his room, cross-legged on his bed with his journal in his lap. Casting Tempus showed him that it was 9:20am. Ten minutes before his session was supposed to be over and the last thing he remembered was going into the parlor after breakfast.

_Nothing,_ Silas answered. _We just had things to discuss._

_Sy, is everything alright?_ Harry asked nervously.

_It's fine, Harry. Don't worry about it,_ Gabriel answered. _You can trust me._

_But not me; is that it?_ Silas asked with false sweetness.

_Alright!_ Harry laughed. _I trust you both. And be nice, Gabe. Oh, yeah! Sy, did you find anything out about the prank?_

_No,_ Silas answered, no longer interested in the joke now that he was again furious with the Slytherin Bastard.

_Oh. Maybe I should write Sirius. He might know._

Gabriel saw the tightly-wound tension in the Slytherin teen and decided that Silas needed space. So he took over Harry-duty and wrote back to their charge and distracted the boy. _Good idea. We could all use a good laugh and I'm sure Sirius would love to be more included,_ he encouraged.

Silas gave him a grateful look and went into his private room, shutting the door firmly. 

Gabriel sighed and chatted with Harry a bit longer before the boy went to write to Sirius and finish his homework. He sat back on the couch in the sitting-room and stared at Silas's door thoughtfully. He had known that Silas had absorbed the mess with Kit and Boy's reactions to it just after the confrontation with Lockhart. He was there when it happened.

_flashback_

It seemed like they were busier than ever before. It was a week since Harry had confronted Lockhart and every hour of the day was taken up with schoolwork, Quidditch practice, late night therapy sessions, listening to Ron's progress on the hippogriff research, sneaking in lunches with Remus, bad dreams at night, spending time with Neville and making sure he wasn't cutting, herbology with Rose, and other daily things. They were all getting tired and tempers were wearing thin.

Gabriel came into the sitting room to find Silas already there, his attention off in the distance. When they were focusing on what was happening Outside with Harry, they tended to come to the sitting-room. They could watch from their bedrooms, but it was harder. Their rooms were for individual pursuits and to have a place to rest and be separate. Silas needed less time in his room than the others; though that was his job, right? Watching to make sure nothing bad happened and to be ready with advice (or orders) should it be needed.

The Slytherin looked tired and Gabriel decided to wait to ask what they should do about the internal stress weighing on them all. Instead, he opted to confront Silas on his needing to rest, but before he could utter a word, the teen sat rigidly straight. A faint glow of a purplish red surrounded him and he arched backward, his mouth falling open in a desperate gasp.

Gabriel hovered. He remembered something like this happening when Harry pushed away his ability to speak Parseltongue. Was Harry rejecting another talent? He shook his head, auburn hair flying. No. This was something more. Last time was like a lingering lightning bolt and this was more like a pulsing cloud. A strangled noise came from Silas, and Gabriel took a few steps closer, unsure what he should do to help.

Finally, the glow faded and Silas slumped, half-curled over his knees with his head in his hands. Gabriel reached out and placed a hand on the teen's shoulder. Silas' head snapped up, his blue-gray eyes bright with emotion. He slapped his hand away viciously and stiffly backed away.

"Don't touch me,” Silas ground out, his voice hoarse and broken as Gabriel had never heard it before.

"What happened?" He was too worried to really get angry with the other teen, but he wasn't going to let this go.

Silas, aware of the strength of Gabriel's stubbornness when invoked, decided it would be best if he gave him answers. "Harry decided he couldn't handle dealing with Lockhart right now and thought it best to push it aside until a time where he wasn't being pulled in so many different directions. Now. If you'll excuse me…"

Gabriel watched as Silas went to his room and softly shut his door. Not seconds later he heard the teen yelling in rage and the sounds of things breaking. The destruction lasted a good hour. When all became quiet again, he went over to knock and ask if Silas was okay, but before his fist could come down on the dark wood the sound of quiet sobs reached his ears.

_end flashback_

Gabriel hadn't known what to do, so he had left the teen alone and didn't bring up the subject again. He hadn't been sure it was a good idea to leave the situation the way it was and had decided to watch for a while before confronting the situation, but ever since Harry merged with Rose, he had come to agree that it was for the best that Silas was handling the effects of Lockhart instead of Harry. The kid was close to overwhelmed as it was and he was trying so hard to remain cheerful for everyone else. 

Knowing the pressure that both Harry and Silas were under, he hadn't taken kindly to Snape's discovery. Things were precariously balanced as it was. Why did the snarky bastard have to involve himself? That's why he had defend both Harry and Silas so furiously, but if Snape was right about Silas needing to confront the issue, then….

Gabriel sighed and looked over at Silas's closed bedroom door. Maybe he should see how things played out with Snape before interfering again, though if the bastard pushed too hard he wouldn't hesitate to protect Silas. Filled with determination, he turned his attention to the Outside and Harry. He'd keep watch for a while and let Silas rest. Lord knew the Slytherin didn't get enough of it.

**xXxXxXx**

"Doesn't it look like the trees are looking back at you, Severus?" Harry asked his teacher, holding up the sketch Neville had finally finished after working on it for three days. "It's creepy, but at the same time it really draws you in because you're not sure if you're seeing things."

Severus took the paper and looked it over. The details were really well done and the shading gave the scene depth. If you looked just right, it did look like there were two great big eyes looking up at you. He smiled and handed the paper to Neville with a regal nod. "This is very good. Harry is right."

"I messed up on the sky and the grass looks too still,” Neville muttered, face bright red.

"Perfection is overrated,” Severus advised. "Had you gotten it just right, observers would not give it a second thought besides that it looks realistic and well-done. It is the imperfections that spark fascination. I know artists who devote their lives into perfecting the imperfections in their work."

"What's he's trying to say, Nev, is that it's really good and we like it. Don't put your stuff down all the time,” Harry said as he hugged the boy. "Really, Nev. It is possible for people to like you and what you make."

"Don't faint in my yard, Longbottom,” Severus drawled humorously at the Gryffindor's shocked look. "Come. Let's go in for dinner before Omi does something drastic."

They were just walking in the door when Neville found his voice. "I think you're getting much better on the piano, Harry. It's amazing that you were only taught how to play last summer."

"Thank you!" Harry smiled brightly and took a seat next to his friend. "I love playing. I always feel like it takes me away to this really great place."

Neville smiled at him. "I know what you mean."

"Do potions take you to the same place, Severus?" Harry asked.

"Not exactly,” he answered, placing his napkin in his lap. "I can't allow myself to drift as far as you two suggest your medium takes you, but it does relax and refresh me."

"Dinner, Master, sirs."

"Thank you, Omi,” Severus answered.

"It's delicious, Omi,” Harry said. "Maybe I can help you cook next time."

"Oh no, young Harry sir! I don't be needing any help in the kitchen."

Severus looked at Harry's crestfallen face and decided to intervene despite the giggling Longbottom. "He doesn't imply you need help, Omi. He merely enjoys cooking as much as you do. It would give him pleasure to trade recipes."

"In that case, I would be happy to have you, young Harry,” Omi agreed with a little lingering reluctance. 

The boys laughed loudly and Severus did his best to ignore them and his disgust at his softening heart.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas spent that night shut away in the library, foregoing practice in the dueling room. There was no answer from Draco at midnight.

**Chapter end.**


	24. Games and Pranks

**Games and Pranks**

Harry settled into the couch as he got ready for his morning therapy session. Breakfast had been especially good and he was feeling a tad sleepy, which made him more open in return. 

_Maybe I should give him a potion before each session,_ Severus mused.

"I understand that my relatives were uncomfortable and afraid of my magical abilities,” Harry began thoughtfully. "I've even come to accept and understand the possible jealousy my aunt could have had, but I'm still me. I mean, I'm still a person who cared about them and what they thought. I worked really hard to try and make them happy and their lives better. Surely they had to see that at some point? I'm just a kid. I was just a baby. Why… I just don't understand…"

"It's not that simple,” Severus answered gently as Harry turned his face into the arm of the couch and began to cry. "Even if they had the capability to see you as just a child in need, they would reject that concept violently because that would mean that everything they had done up until that point was wrong and horrible. They couldn't face that about themselves. They couldn't allow themselves to realize they were monsters."

"That's not fair…" Harry pulled himself upright and wiped his face with his sleeve. Severus was pleased to see an angry expression on his face for the first time. "I don't want them to hate me! I want to be accepted! Even by them!" The anger went out in a rush, leaving behind grief. "I don't want them to be able to hurt me anymore, but I can't stop wishing that they loved me and that none of this had happened. I'm mad they treated me so unfairly, but I still feel like… they're family. That I belong to them…. It's hard to leave it all behind."

"I know it is." Severus couldn't resist the pain in Harry's voice and went to sit by the boy, wrapping his arm around the teen's small shoulders. "But you don't belong to them, Harry. You have to keep telling yourself that. They were wrong about you. They are bad people. I know it hurts to think that about your family, but it's the truth. You didn't deserve their malice. I want you to think about the good things you've done and about the people who care about you. Most importantly, I want you to know you belong to no one but yourself. Though you do owe the people around you and who care about you, consideration."

Harry smiled weakly up at his teacher and leaned into his side. It was rare for Severus to offer physical comfort and he cherished every minute. "It helps to have you and Nev around all the time. It keeps me from dwelling and reminds me that it is true that people _can_ care about me. That still kinda shocks me that someone would."

"That reminds me." Severus pulled away and went back to his chair. "You're empathy is very strong and you are hyper-aware of Longbottom's emotions. I've watch you dance carefully around him to make sure you do not upset him in any way, even if that means acting more cheerful than you truly feel."

"Is that bad?"

"In a way." Severus leaned back and steepled his fingers in front of his mouth. "Longbottom believes he's really your friend, but he will soon come to doubt that if you keep all your true feelings and problems away from him. Friends confide in each other and share their burdens. I do know that your happiness does cheer him up, but be careful not to fall into the habit of pretending all the time."

"I understand,” Harry said thoughtfully. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It isn't a problem yet and you are doing it because you care for him. I'm sure he will understand that." Severus brushed the apology away. "I'm more concerned about the empathy itself, actually. It's stronger than I have ever heard of before and I'm certain that you would be swamped if you were around a lot of people. We need to help you contain it, block it at will, otherwise you will not survive at Hogwarts."

"What should I do?" Harry asked, biting his lower lip.

"I will teach you Occlumency. This art has successfully kept my emotions from being sensed so it should also restrain your empathy from within."

"Now?"

"No." Severus smiled. "This time is for your therapy only. Instead, I will employ one of your two free hours after lunch."

Harry sighed but agreed.

"Now tell me more about your cousin." Severus sat back and mentally braced himself not to react with anger to what he was about to hear.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus showed up just as they were sitting down to lunch. He told them a bit about the beach Sirius was staying at (though he wouldn't tell them exactly where) and what the two were doing. Severus remained silent, offering sneers of disgust every few minutes. The boys ignored him and laughed and talked with their friend and mentor. When the meal was over, Harry promised to meet Severus in the parlor in an hour to work on Occlumency and ran off with Neville and Remus. Severus shook his head and went to work on potions.

"I have something for you two." Remus smiled as he led the boys up to Harry's room. It had become the unofficial headquarters for their plotting.

"What? Did he have an answer to the miniature problem?" Harry asked excitedly. Even Neville was getting into the joke.

"He did." Remus laughed. "He also sent a few books and his notes on becoming an Animagus."

"Really?" Neville looked interested.

"We'll do that later!" Harry insisted. "What do we do to become little Snapes?"

There was a pop and Omi appeared beside them. "I have the Polyjuice, young sirs. There is enough for both of you."

"Perfect timing, Omi!" Harry exclaimed and took the vials from the elf.

Omi did a little dance and grinned madly before disappearing. 

They all laughed at that and turned back to their plotting. Now all they had to do was master the charm Sirius had given them to become smaller and decide when to pull the prank. Remus helped as much as he could and all too soon Harry was rushing from the room, late for his lesson with Snape. 

Remus helped Neville clean up a bit and asked the teen if he'd like to go for a walk outside. Neville happily agreed and they talked softly as they made their way outdoors.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry walked into the parlor to find Severus already there, standing by the fireplace and sipping from a short crystal glass. The amber liquid told Harry that it had to be alcoholic and he wondered why his teacher needed it. He had only ever seen the man drink when things were getting particularly difficult in their therapy sessions.

“Sit," Severus said and gestured to the couch.

Harry did as he was told and looked up expectantly at his teacher.

"Occlumency is a very difficult art,” he began in a slow, melodious voice that always made Harry relax completely. "It is the reverse art to meditating, which I'm teaching to Longbottom. Mediating is the art of opening oneself up fully. Occlumency is the art of closing off your mind. When mediating, you absorb all outside stimulus and abandon your self-awareness. You capture a sense of becoming your surroundings until you expand and all cognitive thought patterns cease completely. Occlumency is forcing the awareness inside and focusing on one thing to the extent that it becomes a living wall between the world and your internal being. Understand, Harry?"

“Yes," he answered softly, lulled almost to sleep.

Severus settled silently onto the couch next to the teen, satisfied that Harry was as relaxed as he could be. "Do you trust me?"

“Yes," Harry answered easily.

"Then just relax,” Severus said ever so softly as he caught those sleepy eyes with his own.

Slowly the colors and solidity of the room blurred and all that was left were those green orbs. Severus slid forward and past the feeble barriers of the teen's mind. Tranquil thoughts swirled lazily around him. Carefully, Severus searched for memories and found them easily. There was natural resistance but nothing Severus couldn't overcome with deft maneuvering.

He looked around and saw a door off in the distance. He assumed that would lead to the other alters. Curious, he looked for memories that had to do with Harry's uncle and found very few. That meant that the memories and experiences of the alters were separate and couldn't be reached through Legimency unless the alter who experienced the situation in question were Out. The door he knew from Salazar would merely lead to the soul chamber and not the other alters' minds. 

That was good. Especially if Dumbledore tried to do this. Harry was protected in this way at least. Getting back to business, he tugged carefully at Harry's awareness and pulled it back toward his own mind. The boy resisted even harder, but Severus soothed him by projecting reassurance and confidence. 

Within Severus' mind, Harry looked around, but he very carefully didn't touch anything or read any of the memories sparkling and flashing by like fish in a stream. He watched amazed as the stream swelled and became a river and then all he could see was ocean. There was nothing to tell him he was in the mind of a person. Just water; churning, rolling water. He shuddered and hoped he never had to see the waters stormy. He knew he'd be lost. 

He felt a firm, yet soft wave rise and push him out. Suddenly, he was back in the parlor. He blinked, disorientated as he slowly gathered his senses. First to come back was color and then sound and then he could feel the couch beneath him again and his clothes against his skin. It was very strange, and he shook his head hard.

"Did you follow what I did?" Severus asked when Harry's breathing evened and his eyes focused with clarity.

He frowned. "I think so."

"It can be any object that can hold your attention completely. It doesn't have to be an element. Do you have any thoughts to what this could be?"

Harry shook his head with a frown. "But how can I walk around and function and Occlude at the same time?"

Severus smiled, his dark eyes bright with amusement. "The item or thing that becomes your focus is merely a shield. Once you erect it fully, you can step back and think behind it. My water stands between you and me. I am on the other side thinking as normally as you are now. Of course, it does feel slightly different. You will no longer have background chatter and you will find it hard to Occlude and multi-task at the same time, but you will be able to function."

"I think I get it." Harry smiled. "What kind of shield do you think would fit me best?"

"That's something only you can decide. We'll probably practice with several before you make your choice." Severus took another sip of his drink. “Maybe a flower or plant of some kind. Or a broom or snitch."

"The sky,” Harry offered. "I always loved working in the garden and looking up into the wide, blue sky. That's also a bit why I like flying so much."

"The sky then,” Severus said, accepting the idea. "What kind? You have to know every detail. You have to focus on it completely. Are there clouds? Is the sun in view? What shade of blue? Is there a temperature to go along with this? Wind?"

Harry groaned. "You're making this hard on purpose."

"I assure you that the subject is difficult without my help." Severus chuckled. "Now close your eyes and begin to build your sky."

**xXxXxXx**

Hours later and after dinner Severus and Neville were finishing their chess game while Boy cowered in the corner of the room, whimpering every few minutes. They were making some progress. Boy hadn't screamed or pleaded or sobbed once this session. When time was up, Harry came back Out and blinked up at his friends. Neville smiled weakly and helped him stand.

"Slowly but surely we will conquer this,” Severus told them reassuringly, putting his hands on their shoulders. "Get some sleep."

"Goodnight, Professor."

"Goodnight, Severus."

They made their way up to the room slowly. They really were tired. Today's workout seemed harder than usual and their bodies ached. Not to mention Neville's emotionally draining confrontations with Remus and Harry's Occlumency lessons. Neville took a long hot bath and Harry wrote in his journal and a few lines to answer Ron's nightly ramblings as he waited for his turn in the bathroom.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry got back to his room after bathing, feeling warm and sleepy. He was surprised to find Neville still waiting up and sitting on his bed, but he happily crawled up beside him. "You seem better,” he offered.

"Remus has been talking to me." Neville blushed. "He… He used to… to cut… like I do."

"I'm glad he's helping." Harry hugged him. He was well aware that only he could embrace Neville without the teen tensing up. He wondered why that was, but he never dared ask. "Severus is helping me a lot with what I remember from growing up with my family…. It's really hard."

"Wanna tell me about it?" Neville asked tentatively.

Harry described some things that had happened and what he did as Rose. He didn't go into details because he didn't want to upset his friend, but he remembered what Severus said and knew not to keep it from Neville completely. And it really did feel good to talk about it to someone his own age. It made him feel like maybe he was stronger than his past, like it might not be able to hurt him for very much longer.

"Oh, Harry." Neville crushed his friend in a hug. Harry let him, feeling touched as he felt both Neville's anger and sadness on his behalf. "I'm so sorry they did that. They're total bastards!"

Harry laughed. "So Severus tells me."

"Are you going to be alright?" Neville fretted.

"I'm fine, Nev. Honest,” Harry promised as he lay down with a yawn. "I have you and Severus and Remus and Sirius to take care of me now."

"Goodnight, Harry. I love you,” Neville whispered to the sleepy teen.

"Night. Love you,” Harry answered before falling asleep.

**xXxXxXx**

The clock struck midnight. It was quiet; both Neville and Severus had long ago gone to bed. Even the house-elf was sleeping. It was Silas's favorite time of night. It felt good to come Out and stretch. His good mood only increased when he heard a soft tapping at the window. He strode over and silently opened the glass. Malfoy's owl swooped in and submitted to a quick magical search. Again the bird and letter were clean and Silas smirked as he freed the letter from the bird's leg.

"Come back tomorrow. Same time,” Silas ordered, attention already on the paper in his hands. The bird gave an indignant hoot and flew away into the night.

_Dear Potter,_

_Interesting. So you'll answer my questions? Alright. Here they are: What really happened between you and that incompetent fool Quirrell? What really happened in the Chamber of Secrets? And what happened at the end of last year with Black? I know you were involved in all three. Care to shed some light on these mysteries? But of course you already warned me you may be coy with answers that pertain to yourself, so how about some of my other questions?_

_Is it true that the Weasel was ordered by his father on the Headmaster's behalf to befriend you on the train in First Year? Is it true that your little Muggleborn girlfriend has been reporting to the Headmaster ever since Second Year? Were they really told to make sure you were subdued and content and to prevent you from forming other friendships, even ones in your own House, that might undermine the Headmaster's control of you?_

_Well, I do believe that's enough for right now. Let your glib tongue be as coy as it likes, Potter, I will eventually find the truth, but in a show of good faith that you might be forthcoming on some of the topics mentioned above, I will reveal some information that might interest you._

_My father has been told by very close friends that there has been a second disturbance within Azkaban. Looks like Black's escape gave inspiration to certain quarters. The who and what about the mystery are still in question, but the how… The rumor is that someone faked their own death and, when they were thrown out like yesterday's trash, the escape was made. Fascinating really. Two breakouts within a year from a prison supposedly inescapable. Guess it just goes to show that anything is possible._

_Yours,_

_Serpentine_

_P.S. I'm grateful for the moniker, Potter. I think I'll keep it. It suits, don't you agree?_

Silas read through it twice just to be sure he got all the implications. Anything was possible, huh? Even turning a Slytherin against the Dark Lord? Was Draco hinting that he was unsatisfied in his present alliances? He couldn't even imagine what Draco's life was like out of school or when he was growing up. He knew better than anyone how invaluable a mask could be. How much of Draco's performance at school was a mask? Did Silas want to know bad enough to try and find out?

Yes. He did.

Why? Silas looked over the woods that could just be seen by the light of the moon as he thought over his reasons. It was fun to toy with the Slytherin boy, it was fun to have and express power, and it was nice to be conversing with someone who held no expectations or assumptions. He had hinted all wasn't as it seemed and Draco had taken the bait, willingly opening himself up to a correspondence where he had no idea what to expect. They didn't know each other, they didn't like each other, and that was what made Draco so attractive to him.

This was a game, dangerous and thrilling. It was an exercise of cunning and manipulation. It made him feel free and for just a few moments it let him ignore the more complex and difficult things in his life. So Silas sat at the desk and began to slowly craft his response. He decided he'd play hard to get, hinting that he'd give more if Draco gave more in return.

So he wrote a version of the events that happened during First Year. He left out any mention of his Dissociative Identity Disorder, but he told how he and the other two of the Golden Trio put together the puzzle of the stolen parcel. When it came down to the description of the battle with Quirrell, he left out the part where Demon came and began to tear the place apart. He merely told Draco the lie Dumbledore told him: that it was his mother's love that burnt and killed the possessed Quirrell. He didn't bother saying who possessed their ex-Professor. He figured Draco could figure that part out on his own and, if not, then he didn't deserve to know.

As for answering the questions about Ron and Hermione… He didn't. He wasn't sure of the truth of the matter. He didn't like them, but Harry did and he couldn't betray them without creating conflict with his other self and he wouldn't do that unless he had better evidence against them than second hand information from a Slytherin he couldn't trust. So he wrote nothing, knowing that not mentioning it at all would be telling in itself, but he could deal with and/or work with those implications later.

**xXxXxXx**

Two days after Silas received Draco's letter and a day after he sent his reply June twenty-eighth arrived. It was a sunny Saturday morning. Severus went down to breakfast expecting to eat alone since he had told the boys that this would be the only day they would be free to do as they pleased. He felt two days a week was too generous and a waste of important time, but he had conceded to the mangy werewolf's advice that confining the boys from fun and relaxation would be a terrible waste of an excellent opportunity for them. 

(Of course, Severus told himself he was merely doing it so that he would have _some_ time to work on his experiments and personal projects that were being put on hold. He definitely wasn't admitting that the wretched man had a point or _worse_ that he was right.) 

Therefore, he was shocked when he found the dinning room occupied. The shock escalated when he registered that he was staring at two identical images of himself, or he would have been if he was only a few inches over five feet. The proportions were perfect and two disturbingly familiar sneers spread across the two faces across from him. Severus felt his own sneer rising in answer and he glared at the two impostors, still too shocked to settle on any one reaction.

"What do you think you are doing?" he demanded with a glare. 

He hoped that intimidation would reveal which was Longbottom, but the transformation was too complete. His face was naturally not very expressive (except for anger or irritation), and while one child's face went blank and the other frowned, he couldn't determine which expression belonged to Longbottom and which to Harry.

"Good morning, Professor,” the one on the right spoke; the one whose face had frowned.

"Care for some breakfast, Professor?" the other gestured languidly at the table and the food sitting on it that was growing cold.

Severus gritted his teeth as he heard his own voice and watched his own mannerisms being used against him. Were they mocking him? What was the meaning of this? As if hearing his thoughts, which was impossible since his mental barriers were always ready and hovering, the one on the left spoke again.

"Shall I take points for wasting such a fine meal?"

Severus glared, now sure that this was Harry. Longbottom would never speak to him so.

"Don't worry, Professor. The change isn't permanent, but I'd love to make a potion and see if this increases my skill any,” the other spoke and made Severus doubt his previous guess. Surely Longbottom wouldn't say that either.

"You would need more than a change of appearance to better your pathetic skills at potions,” Severus snapped but then smirked. "Even if you did choose a rather good form for such a task."

"What would you suggest?" the one on the right sneered.

"A miracle.” Severus chuckled at the contempt in one face and the raised eyebrow in the other.

Breakfast was had with testing banter as Severus tried to figure out which boy he was talking to. It became fun in a ridiculous way. Every time he was sure he knew who was who, they would do or say something that would throw him off. If there was one thing that he loved, it was a challenge, and he had plenty of time to guess. The boys followed him everywhere, except when they scurried off to restore their forms most likely, but they always returned quickly. Even into the potions lab. He was certain that this would make it absolutely clear. No one could mess up a potion like Longbottom, but the boys were wise and wouldn't actually engage past preparing ingredients, and not even Longbottom could mess that up.

"Potter!" he snapped and both boys turned to him with impatient expectation that came so naturally to his face. He sneered and the boys smiled triumphantly that they had won another round. "This is ridiculous,” he growled. They'd been in the dungeon for hours now and lunch had passed without a word of complaint from the two miniature impostures. "Remove this spell immediately."

"Giving up already, Professor?"

Severus sneered and stormed up the stairs with the boys stalking behind him like ducklings after their mother. He almost reached the dining room when a flash of light from a passing room caused him to draw his wand in a flash as he stood protectively between the potential threat and the teenagers. His own laugh reached his ears and he realized that he was holding an innocently smiling Remus, who was not so innocently holding a Wizarding camera, at wand point.

"You put them up to this,” he snarled.

"Whatever do you mean, Severus?" Remus asked sweetly. "I think it's a great compliment that the boys would go so far to emulate you."

His annoyance eased as he sat over lunch. He found that while the teenagers had been extremely careful not to give themselves away all morning long, their interactions with Remus gave telling hints. Smug, he leaned back and silently laughed as he watched the three who were so confident they had him fooled. He masterfully restrained an evil smirk as he plotted revenge.

"Harry," he said to the disguised boy on the right. "I need to have a word, if you please. In private."

"Can't it wait?" the miniature Snape on the left asked sardonically. The impression was so perfect that Remus had difficulty smothering his laughter.

"This is hardly the time,” the one on the right sneered.

"I'm afraid it can't wait. I was going to give you the news this morning, but I had to put it off due to this foolishness. Now come."

"But how can you be sure I'm Harry?" the boy smirked and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Do not presume to doubt my ability to judge a person's identity, child,” he said with icy anger in his voice. "You have no idea who you are dealing with. I knew immediately who you were this morning! I am done humoring you. Follow me. Now."

The humor in the room disappeared and the Snape under attack looked to the other. There was no response that Severus could see, but the boy stood without a word. Severus spun and stalked to the parlor. His smaller image followed reluctantly. As soon as the teen was in the room, he shut and locked the door with a violent swish of his wand. He clasped his hands behind his back and stared down at the teen with impassive eyes.

"We have been discussing what to do about next summer and I have received word that your request is possible. I will assist you in packing and buying all you need for the move. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir,” the little Snape answered, uncertainty rising in his eyes.

"I know how much hope you placed on this and am pleased it all worked out. All you need to do is sign here. You have about three minutes left before the contract expires and this chance escapes, so please be quick. I'm sure you will be happy to finally tell that filthy wolf and your friend the news."

He handed the teen a thick scroll and unrolled it so that the bottom line that required a signature could be seen. He summoned a quill and ink and handed those over as well. The smaller Snape just stared at him in confusion and Severus thought for a moment his plan wouldn't work. He scowled.

"What are you waiting for! You only have a minute left!" he snapped.

The teen snatched the quill and scroll and bolted from the room. "Harry!" he bellowed. "Quick! You have less than a minute! Sign this!" The frantic teen sped into the dining room. The second Snape was on his feet and Remus was frowning.

"What's wrong?" Harry/Snape demanded.

"Your summer contract! Hurry!" Neville/Snape begged frantically.

"What are you talking about?" The scroll was accepted with a face full of concern and bewilderment.

The other teen opened his mouth to pant out a fast explanation, but it was too late. The scroll dissolved in a hiss of smoke. Neville moaned in despair, but before the others could move to comfort him a dark chuckle brought their attention to the doorway. Severus stood there with his arms folded and a pleased smile on his face. Harry/Snape scowled at him and Neville/Snape looked about to cry.

"Wipe that expression of my face, Longbottom. It's despicable." An evil, joyful smile slowly unfurled. "I believe this game is up. I win."

"You… You mean that was a trick?" Neville demanded.

"But of course,” Severus smirked.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Neville collapsed into a dining room chair and the room burst into laughter. Even Severus joined in.

**xXxXxXx**

Everyone was pleased with the way the prank had turned out and the boys hoped that Remus got the pictures Omi had been secretly taking throughout the day developed soon. They couldn't wait to see them. Harry, especially, was proud that game lasted as long as it had. Neville had done wonderfully. Who knew changing his looks would erase so much of the teen's insecurity?

Harry curled on his side contentedly as he thought on the next plot. Remus had pulled him aside before he left to see what he thought of taking Neville to the Muggle village for a make-over the Saturday after next. (Remus had made plans already with Sirius the following Saturday.) Harry had readily agreed and even talked Remus into letting him help pay for everything. It was going to be great!

**Harry? You there, mate?**

Harry reached over and pulled the parchment toward him. **Yeah, Ron. I'm here. Did you read my message?**

**Yeah! That prank on Sirius was bloody brilliant! How did you pull it off?**

Harry had written his friend a brief description of the prank, but he said he had done it to Sirius and hadn't mentioned at all how he had done it. **My secret,** he wrote now with a playful smile. He thought that would irritate his friend, but he was surprised to find he was wrong.

**Yeah, okay!** The words came back just as quickly and playfully as he had written. **As soon as I read it, I told the twins so I have a pretty good idea how you did it by their guess. They say hullo, by the way, and want you to know that they're glad you're having so much fun.**

**Tell them hullo and thank you from me,** Harry wrote with a smile.

**Well, if you got any pictures of this prank, I'd love to see them later!**

**I'll see what I can do.** Harry smiled. **Good night, Ron. Talk to you tomorrow.**

**Night, Harry.**

Yes. It had been a very good day. Harry put away his parchment and turned off the lights, falling asleep with a smile still on his face.

**xXxXxXx**

A week passed without anything interesting happening. They did finish their homework and had their assignments approved by Severus. Their study on the Animagus Transformation had begun. Unfortunately, Tuesday wouldn't pass so smoothly. Harry entered the parlor to have his morning therapy session after breakfast to meet his mentor in a very determined mood.

"I need to speak with Silas. We had an agreement he has failed to uphold,” Severus said calmly. "If you feel you can miss today's session, I'd like to straighten things out now."

"Okay." Harry frowned and sat on the couch. He closed his eyes and waited. After a moment, he opened them again with a shrug. "Nothing's happening, sir."

"I see." Severus took his seat and steepled his fingers in front of his face grimly. "There is something you need to be aware of then.” But he didn't get any father than that (not that Severus had been expecting too) before Harry was gone and Gabriel was in his place. 

The Gryffindor threw a defiant glare Snape's way and stalked to the door, but Severus had locked it. Gabriel spun around and stalked back. 

Severus allowed his impatience to show, but the confrontational alter ignored the warning.

The teen had his wand out now. "Let me out, Snape. You already know how we feel about this. It isn't necessary.”

"I'm well aware of what is and what isn't necessary. This is,” Severus answered, unyielding. "I'm also aware that sessions in the way Harry has them will not help Silas. You should not allow him to run from this. You should support me in encouraging him to confront this issue. You, more than anyone, should understand the dangers of letting a perilous situation fester."

Gabriel stared with guarded eyes and Severus would have given anything to listen in on the internal conversation he was sure the protective alter was having with the Slytherin. He was intrigued at the Gryffindor's intense defense of Silas, however. He had understood them as being on a more indifferent/tolerating terms not engaged in an alliance and possible friendship. Severus had a disturbing feeling that he was missing something obvious and subtle, something extremely important, but he had no more time to consider because Silas had taken Gabriel's place.

"What do you want, Snape?" Silas narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. He didn't bother sitting or returning to the couch. He preferred as much distance between them as he could create. He tried not to show his uneasiness at being confined in the room or being forced to bend to the Potion Master's will, but he knew the observant man saw it in his posture. He let irritation, contempt, and anger rise to the forefront of his mind. "You're wasting your time. I have nothing to say to you."

"Why is that?" Severus asked calmly. It would do no good to provoke the skittish teen.

Silas didn't answer. He stared impassively and waited. He wouldn't give another opening. It was Severus' move. It didn't take long for the Professor to make it either, which Silas was privately glad for. He didn't want to be here all day, after all.

"Very well. If you don't want to discuss you, then I will be the one to talk." Severus leaned back and lowered his hands to his lap in a deceptively relaxed gesture. Silas relaxed a tiny bit. "In fact, I'd like to tell you a story. My story." Silas relaxed still further, enough that when Severus gestured at the couch he moved to sit there without hesitation. Severus smirked wryly at this and began his tale.

**Chapter end.**


	25. Shadows and Light

**Shadows and Light**

"I was once very much like you,” Severus began. "I trusted no one and hated everyone who had power and control over my life. My family away from Hogwarts was very… oppressive, and the castle was no refuge. The war was really getting started and the House rivalry you experience now is nothing compared to what it can become. I was Slytherin, small in stature and of the habit of not fighting back when provoked or attacked. I would always lash out later, from the shadows; usually with potions so that no one could trace the act back to me. My Slytherin classmates were no comfort. They detested me for my weakness, impurity, and lack of manners. My only friend for my first few years was Lily. I lost Lily’s friendship toward the end of 5th year. I had grown too dark and angry to keep her. I craved the power to defend myself, to prove to everyone that I was a force to be reckoned with. When school came to an end, I couldn't care less about the war or people dying. I was sick of always being on the bottom, sick of the pain of being constantly stomped on." Severus looked away from the wall and met his young student's neutral emerald gaze. "I was offered a chance to rise above the masses and couldn't look beyond myself to recognize the trap for what it was. I was slowly inducted into the Death Eaters. I became Voldemort's slave."

Images slid into Silas' mind and he didn't fight them… _Screams of a horrendous pitch swirled around his head, flashes of angry spells, the hungry presence of a pack of slavering humans intent on murder, bowing down, kissing robes, hellish laughter, pitiful sobs, the stench of death and pain and fear, and throughout it all a persistent feeling of emptiness and isolation_ …

Severus smiled grimly. "My magical growth spurt came late. I was a late bloomer, you can say. I started to come into my magic and I was powerful. My Master, of course, took credit for it and I believed him. By this point I was coming down from my high of finally having power over others and was starting to frown at the way my Master ruled so completely over me, so I grasped on to any rationalization and excuse I could to justify my continual slavery to this man."

… _brewing potions no one had ever thought of before, relishing the sheer power of them, crawling to your master's feet and being pet like a dog and feeling so much pride that you are being favored; glee and triumph is your sole response when you are given permission to try out your fabulous creations. You poor a potion down the throat of a man and the screams begin as his insides begin to invert. The convulsions are so bad that he snaps his own spine. It takes days for him to die and you feel smug at the accomplishment. That's the hardest part, after all, keeping the test subject alive through the effects_ …

"The war got more violent. We went on raid after raid. Hundreds were tortured and killed. I had been pushed and broken by people all my life and I didn't feel a bit of remorse for my actions. My victims always deserved it. They were nothing but my enemies. I saw even my fellow Death Eaters that way. I was as alone as ever and I thought I was happy because life didn't hurt me anymore. It was only hurting others and what did I care about them?"

… _You are looking down at the hands that belong to you and see blood there but are unable to feel it on your own skin. Denial is a thick cloak around your mind as you stand in a circle surrounding a mere child as she is tortured. The spell is eating the flesh from her hands and she is screaming, screaming… A sharp knife is thrown to her and in her madness she cuts off the hand that torments her so. Stupid brat, you think heartlessly, even as reality seems to tremble at the edges of your mind, promising equal pain once you succumb. She should have killed herself, now she's howling with misery as she realizes she can't cut off the other hand without the one she had removed_ …

"The Dark Lord was becoming increasingly bold and ruthless. One day, I was called to a meeting. Voldemort tortured me and several others. We hadn't done anything wrong. He was just in a foul mood for a reason we couldn't fathom. It was then I realized that I was more helpless than I had ever been and everything I'd done to make myself invulnerable was for nothing."

… _Walking proudly into your place only to be sent to the ground screaming in pain. Why were you being punished? You are loyal and you are powerful and skilled and brilliant. Your master needs you. You are favored and special. Why? Then the pain is too much and you can't think of anything. When the pain fades, you attack the others. They attack you back. You know one of them did this. Your master wouldn't hurt you other wise. They are out to get you. They are jealous. You tear through their mind and are shocked to find their innocence in this matter. There was no plot against you. No plot, no reason for being punished, you had done nothing wrong and are helpless to keeping it from happening again; helpless and in pain. Feeling small and frightened as you realize you're living within a nightmare_ …

"It was sudden and very painful, this realization,” Severus said softly and finally broke his gaze from the teen across from him to stare at the fire. "My next raid I couldn't see our victims as I had before. I wasn't exactly empathizing with them, not yet, but feeding off pain, despair, and cruelty didn't strike me as attractive any longer. It lost its meaning because it could no longer protect me or make me think I was strong. All I could think about were the strings controlling me. My only goal was to please my Master and I was sickened. But I was helpless to fight back. I couldn't back out. I was Marked and that was soul-deep. The Dark Lord would always find me. However, I couldn't continue anymore, either. My sanity was teetering and I fled to the one place I could think of. I fled to Dumbledore." 

Severus sighed and again glanced at the teen across from him. Silas was sitting still and patient. He continued. "I threw myself at his feet. I begged for a way out, for mercy. I pleaded for forgiveness and he reached down and lifted me to my feet. He said not to grovel to him, said that I had to prove myself by showing strength and by standing-up straight. I'll never forget that. I was at my lowest, contemplating suicide even and this man made me feel more powerful than the Dark Lord ever had. It was then that I decided to support Dumbledore and his cause. I became a spy. I avoided raids and revels as much as I could, but eventually I had to go. Being a spy made me feel in control of it again and I told myself I had to be strong to prove myself. I did as I had to."

… _Attending meetings and knowing what would happen there. You walk among others and see yourself in their faces. You see your past and it's like a fever dream as you watch yourself be that person once more. Deep inside you cling to the knowledge that you are not in the past, that you are there to complete a job that will save lives. You are important and desperately needed. You are strong. You are only pretending to be weak. The screams are no longer distant and you see yourself in the face of the tortured, but you aren't that person anymore. You are no longer weak. You have found true strength. You have to tell yourself this over and over because you're hands are shaking and your mask is breaking…_

"The war ended, as you know, the night you shattered the Dark Lord's power and his body. Stray Death Eaters were still about, but the world was free. Peace came and, with it, a woman I fell in love with. She was the one to teach me that other people matter. She helped me through the pain of realizing that all my victims were people, too. She taught me to trust again."

… _Something is happening and you are helpless to stop it. You can only sit back and watch as emotions begin to swirl inside unhindered. You're afraid at first because it is so uncontrolled and you can't be out of control; you can't stand the thought of helplessness. But as much as it is frightening, there is something soothing, something promising under the surface. You can't recognize it and it hurts, but you're helpless to stop it. You hate being helpless, but this is freedom. The thing you want more than anything, so you let the emotions come and just hope and pray and force yourself to have faith that you will survive it_ …

"Silas, I can't describe to you what it was like to finally heal. I had never known that I was ill or realized the pain I was in before her. When relief came, it was indescribable. I wept for days." Severus stood and walked to the fireplace to poor a drink. Silence covered them for several minutes until the dark-eyed man returned to his place. "If I hadn't isolated myself as I had in my attempt to make myself invulnerable from humanity, I would not have made the mistakes I had. I'm not saying you will go out and become a mass-murder as I did, but you are walking down a dangerous road. Don’t get me wrong. This isn't a request that you go prancing about like a Hufflepuff with your heart on your sleeve and spouting out sonnets of devotion to those around you. I still don't enjoy being with people or even trust a good many of them. Keeping people at arms-length is wise when you can't be sure where your enemies lie, but cutting yourself off from others completely and convincing yourself of the general worthlessness of mankind is not the answer either."

"What are you trying to say?" Silas asked narrowly, fighting against the images and impressions still echoing through his mind.

"I know what it is to be hurt. I know what it is to think the world is against you and deciding not to let it in" Severus leaned forward, his voice low and intense. "I _know_ , Silas. I'm not giving you pity. You are not a charity case. This isn't exaggeration. I've honestly been where you are, been through the hell you are approaching, and I tell you this: You cannot allow yourself to strip away your compassion, empathy, and trust of humanity. If you do that, then soon you will see people as animals. You will kill all of your emotions and you will die slowly. That is the way you are headed, Silas. You can't bring yourself to trust anyone and soon you won't be able to care about anyone but yourself, either. You will become numb to the pain you are causing others and you won't even realize that the one you are hurting most is yourself."

“Please," Silas sneered sarcastically. "This is a load of rubbish. I am not making myself heartless. Just because I favor reason over emotions, doesn't mean I deny them. Neither does not trusting _you_ mean I don't trust _anybody_."

"Who do you trust, Silas?" Severus asked coldly. "Name one person. Just _one_."

Silence.

"I know you have some care toward Neville, but it is distant. You are indifferent to Black and Lupin. You hate Dumbledore.” He held up his hand when Silas narrowed his eyes. "Not that I blame you. I am no longer blind to his faults and am well aware of how unforgivable his actions have become." Severus eyes pierced through him. "Do you even trust Harry? Gabriel? I know you care for them, but do you honestly trust them?"

Silas looked away, face blank.

"You only trust yourself and that will soon grow into something worse. I am not speaking melodramatically. I am not preaching about goodness and light. I am speaking from past experience. I am trying to save you from the hell I went through. I almost didn't survive it. I am still not fully recovered to this day and I will never be able to escape what I've done. I'm giving you warning. Please consider what I've said."

"Who would you suggest I trust? You?" Silas sneered, his eyes bright. Severus recognized it as the defensive action it was. "You've betrayed us twice. I don't care what excuses and justifications you've given me about them. That doesn't change the fact that you have. You obviously don't recommend Dumbledore and you can't be serious about trusting Neville. He's just a child with his own problems. He can hardly be trusted to care for himself, let alone be trusted with our problems and concerns. Sirius is insane and Remus has too many ties to Dumbledore. Should I go back and trust my remaining blood-relatives? Obviously not."

"People are not perfect, Silas,” Severus answered calmly. "The world and its circumstances are not perfect, either. You will never find a person that will never disappoint you or never go against your wishes at least once, and you will never be that perfect to anyone else in return, but you can trust that some people will care about your well-being and will listen to what you say and respect you. As much as I'm loath to say it, Lupin is trustworthy in that nature. As am I, despite you're refusal to believe it. Neville is as well. I am indeed suggesting you consider opening up to us and allowing yourself to trust that we will not intentionally harm you or your interests."

"And if I don't, I am dooming my soul to punishment and death? I don't need anyone, and I'm not you, Severus. Don't insult me.” Silas glared viciously. He stood and made his way to the door. "I'm finished here."

"Consider what I've said, Silas."

"As Gabriel would say, fuck off.” And he was gone.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry smiled as he walked into the library. "Hey, Neville."

The Gryffindor looked up with a smile of his own. "Is it my turn already?"

"I got out ten minutes early. How's the Animagus studying going?"

"Slowly." Neville sighed and showed the smaller teen where he was so that Harry could pick up where he was leaving off.

Harry listened to Neville's summery of what he had learned so far. It really was complicated, but they were determined to do it. When ten minutes passed, Neville hurried away to go to Severus for his meditation exercises, leaving Harry alone to wade through the difficult process they had chosen to study. Harry tugged a clean piece of parchment over so that he could ask Silas for tips and clarification when he needed to. He sighed. Without his Slytherin alter helping him, he would never understand this. A good perk to choosing this subject was that he was certain to do much better in Transfiguration this year as his understanding of the subject was expanding rapidly.

_Silas, what does it mean when it says the Animagus transformation is an inner change and not an outer? I thought you kept your human mind as an Animagus?_ he wrote. There was a long pause, but it was Gabriel who answered.

_Silas is sleeping, but I think I can help with this question. You do keep your mind and you do change your physical shape, but unlike someone else transforming you into whatever they wish, your own spirit transforms you into its most primal shape. So I think it means that it is a spell that starts on the inside and works its way out._

_Oh. Thanks._ Harry smiled, but it wilted with worry. _Is Sy alright?_

_Yeah. We do need sleep, just not as often as you,_ Gabriel reassured.

_Okay._ Harry nodded. _Would it help if I sleep, too? Maybe that way I won't disturb him._

_No. You're fine. Keep working. I want to see our form._

_Me, too._ Harry smiled and went back to work.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas was indeed sleeping, but it wasn't by choice. He frowned as sleep tugged at him and he made his way to his bedroom. He was stumbling by the time he reached the bed and was unconscious before he hit the pillow. Dreams weren't normal inside the soul rooms. Only when they were Out and fell asleep would they dream. Sleeping in the soul-chambers was a half-aware state where they were conscious of time passing, but all is black restfulness where they recharge their energy supply and unconsciously organize the information they were accumulating. This time was different. This time, Silas dreamed…

**…** He was floating. Floating in darkness. Voices and sounds reached his ears slowly. Trees in a wind. Animals moving, breathing, living. There were footsteps heralded by snapping twigs and shaking bushes. Heavy panting reached his ears and the wheeze in it suggested emotion. Was it panic? Fear? Anger? Something is dragging behind the loud steps.

Slowly, his blind eyes open, only to find branches blocking most of his view. It is dark, but the stars and moon are bright. Directly under him, the panting is coming from a man he can't quite see, but he could see the woman struggling in magical rope behind him. Her eyes are wide with terror.

"Master! I-I-I was re-r-recognized! I d-d-don't know why she's here, Master! W-w-what should I do?" the man begged and pleaded and Silas sneered in disgust from his place hidden in the tree.

"Bring her forth. Let me see what you've brought…" a slithering, cold voice sliced through the air from within the tree trunk.

"Yes, Master!"

Wormtail. Silas recognized him as soon as the man came within sight. The traitor dragged the woman over and dropped her at the base of the tree. She stilled as if she were already a corpse, but the terror in her eyes was still very much alive. There was a sickening hiss and then a low chuckle.

"You are very lucky, my servant… This lost little girl is very special, aren't you little one? … Yes, special indeed… Someone placed a memory charm on her. A strong one. What secrets lie within your mind?"

The woman jerked a few times and then went limp.

"Ahhh…." The cold voice was gleeful. "Yes! … This is the chance we've been waiting for…. Wormtail! …. We leave at first light. It is time to go back. I have a loyal servant waiting impatiently for me."

"Yes, Master!" Wormtail groveled.

"Avada Kevadra!" Voldemort snapped and then began to laugh.

Silas didn't fight the pull as everything began to get dark again. He couldn't repress a shiver as the evil laughter followed him and he wondered what the dead woman had known that pleased Voldemort so much. More importantly, who did she know that would give the evil bastard confidence enough to come crawling back to England? **…**

Silas sat up in his bed and looked around his soul-room. The fire was flickering gently and all his books gleamed from their shelves with promised knowledge. It was eerie, after what he just saw, and he threw back the green covers. He checked his appearance in his mirror, combing out his hair, and left for the sitting room to see what he had missed on the Outside. 

Gabriel was sitting on the couch and turned his blue eyes toward him. "You alright?"

Silas hesitated. His natural response would be to sneer and ignore the hero, but… the flashes he'd picked up from his session with Professor Snape that morning still flickered at the back of his mind. He wasn't into self-deception. He needed to know the threats they were facing, especially the ones that came from within, and be able to evaluate them correctly, and Snape's prediction was a threat. If opening up to someone would prevent the devastation Professor Snape saw in their future, then he'd have to do so. He had to learn to trust, at least a little bit. Locking himself away would poison him and, through him, the rest of their shared mind. He couldn't afford to let that happen. Believe it or not, the only person Silas could see himself trusting, even just a little bit, was Gabriel.

"I had a dream,” he admitted, facing his Gryffindor counterpart. "More like a vision."

"Oh yeah?" Gabriel looked interested. "What did you see?"

And so Silas told him.

"What does it mean? What do we do?" the auburn-haired teen asked seriously.

"I think the vision is self-explanatory,” Silas sneered. "As for what we do…. We wait. We keep on the lookout and we prepare."

"Should we tell someone?" Gabriel frowned.

"Who? Snape?" Silas shook his head. "We don't know anything yet and, until we do, it'd be pointless to tell him. I want to keep this ability secret for a while. Lord knows what will happen if people find out Harry Potter has a mental connection to the Dark Lord."

"How _do_ you have a connection to the Dark Lord?" Gabriel leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands hanging loosely between his legs.

"Demon." Silas smirked. He sat back into the couch and looked at the Gryffindor from the corner of his eyes. "I guess I'm the closest one to Demon and so I get the visions. I'm not complaining. It is really good for us to know what that bastard is up to. Protect us from being surprised."

Gabriel shook his head. "So Demon is a part of Voldemort's soul and you are seeing echoes of what the Dark Bastard is up to. But… Demon is also a part of our soul, so… Can Voldemort see echoes of what we're doing?"

"Probably not because our mind is fractured into several personalities. It makes our end of the link a knot and harder to penetrate. Though the possibility is there, especially through me since I seem to be closest to Demon. That's why I'm learning Occlumency with Harry." Silas looked forward. It was like looking through a window, but it was dark. If Harry were awake, it would be clear and they could watch through his eyes what was happening in the Outside world. "What did I miss?"

Gabriel frowned again. He hated it when Silas changed the subject, but really what more needed to be said? Obviously there was a risk involved in having the link they shared with Voldemort, but Silas was aware of that risk and was dealing with it. Maybe Gabriel should pay more attention to those Occlumency lessons, too? He sighed again. At least the Slytherin was talking to him instead of keeping everything so damn secret. The lesson with Snape was worth something at least.

"Snape stepped up the physical training and started Neville and us on real dueling. Harry doesn't mind the exercises or the combat routines, but actually sparing even though it's just practice really bothers him. He just doesn't want to hurt anybody. Not even if it were to protect himself. Snape got mad and Harry got upset because he couldn't help the fact he isn't aggressive at all, so I went Out and it was agreed that I would take over during that part of the lesson." Here Gabriel grinned smugly. "I'm way more advanced than Neville and have loads more talent for combat so I'm getting intensive one-on-one training from Snape. Remus is going to come and partner with Neville so he's still learning, too. He's not bad really. He's pretty good at defense, but like Harry he's missing the edge needed to be really good at offense."

Silas nodded. "What time is it?"

"About ten thirty at night. Harry's been asleep for half-an-hour or so,” Gabriel answered. "You've been asleep for just under thirteen hours. Why do you think it took so long? Do you think the visions aren't real-time? That you could have seen the past or future?"

"I think they are real-time." Silas tucked his chin-length hair behind his ear. "I think I slept after seeing the vision. I was tired."

Gabriel smiled fondly. "You hate sleeping."

Silas shot him an irritated glare. "I'm going Out to practice Occlumency." His door slammed outward and he was gone. Gabriel yawned and went to his bed, chuckling under his breath.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas had only been practicing for about an hour when a tapping sounded at his window. A slow smile spread across his face and he checked to make sure Gabriel was asleep before rising and opening the glass. Malfoy's bird flew in silently and offered its leg. Silas checked for spells, found none, and took the letter. The bird flew away without so much as a hoot and disappeared into the night. Silas sat at the desk and quickly counted the days. It had been thirteen days since he had sent off the letter describing the events of first year. He thought over the implications of that for a moment before reading the missive.

_Compliments Shadow,_

_You have a way with naming things. Naming yourself Shadow in your last letter to me surprised me. I am surprised that you would welcome a name that holds even a hint of darkness. I realize you aren't how you portray yourself as being in school, but I hardly believe there's any darkness in you whatsoever. You are still Gryffindor and the Boy-Who-Lived at that._

_In any case, naming things isn't your only talent. You are also a great story-teller. Not that I doubt your words, but you cannot deny your life is very entertaining. I can't wait to read the adventures of Second Year. But before that, I do have a story of my own and I thought I'd share it with you in payment for the amusing hour your last letter gave me._

_My father has been missing from home more and more often as the days pass. You may not know but he holds a very high position in the Ministry, sitting on several Committee Boards. Curious, I began paying more attention, wondering what exactly was taking so much of my father's time._

_I expected it had something to do with foreign affairs due to the few remarks my father had made. Needless to say, when I found out his business was with the Hogwarts Governors I thought he was trying to get me off his trail. But just yesterday I had a fire-call from a friend in Germany. It seems my father wasn't misleading me at all. Something is happening that concerns Hogwarts and foreign affairs._

_Of course with the World Cup taking place in just a few months, I thought perhaps Hogwarts was helping or participating in some manner and that was what was keeping my father. But just before I retired to write this letter, my father said something interesting. He remarked, "Why those fools chose the year England hosts the World Cup to start this damn Tournament is beyond me. And at Hogwarts no less! We'll never be ready in time."_

_There is only one tournament that involves schools in different countries. The Tri-Wizard Tournament. But it was banned a long time ago due to the severe injuries and deaths the participants suffered. I have no idea who got it reinstated, but there are several unhappy people in the Ministry._

_Well, I hope this information is of some use to you, Shadow. It is an interesting puzzle. The timing of it is also very curious. My best regards and I hope to receive another fascinating story in your next letter._

_Yours truly,_

_Serpentine_

Silas tapped his mouth with the end of his quill. Draco's information was interesting indeed. A tournament at Hogwarts that involves several countries. Was this what the woman in his vision knew that pleased Voldemort so much? Did Professor Snape know about the tournament, and if he did, why didn't he say anything? _Should_ Snape have said anything? Should Silas be mad he hasn't? 

Silas shook his head. He'd think about that later. He needed to decide what to include in his next letter to Draco and when he wanted to send it. On one hand, he could make things even and wait a week to send it off. But that would mean having his bird coming every night at midnight to see if his response was ready and every night the bird came increased the chances of his correspondence with Draco being discovered. On the other hand, he could send off a response tomorrow and let Draco bite his lip, wondering why he was replying so fast. That had a certain appeal and Silas decided that would be the best way to go, so he began crafting his letter.

He opened it with a demure agreement that the tournament did sound interesting and accepted the compliments on his chosen pen-name of Shadow. He gave his condolences that Draco’s father was not at home and working so hard and then began to describe the happenings of their Second Year. Again, he was careful not to hint about their condition, but otherwise told the story the way it really happened. He was surprised at how many pages it took.

At the end, he asked for more information, but left the topic he was inquiring about open for Draco's interpretation. He could learn a lot just by finding out what Draco thought the most pertinent subject to him was. Satisfied, Silas sealed the envelope and hid it until he could send it tomorrow night.

**xXxXxXx**

"You guys, I really don't think this is necessary,” Neville muttered as they walked down the road toward the small Muggle town.

It was Saturday and, as promised, Harry and Remus were taking Neville out to get a new wardrobe in hopes the new look would give the insecure teen a confidence boost. Silas had sent his response off to Draco two days ago and was still thinking about the vision and everything Draco had told him as well as the session with Snape. He just couldn’t shake it. Gabriel was focused on the moment, however, hoping to be able to get Harry (and the rest of them) new clothes as well.

"This will be fun,” Harry assured his friend, wrapping his arms around Neville as they walked. "It's nice to get out of the house. We've been cooped up for almost a month!"

Neville smiled at him and nodded. It was nice to be outside. Remus laughed and promised they wouldn't shop for too long. The last of Neville's tension drained away and he smiled happily as the town came into view. The day was really beautiful so there were a lot of people on the streets and the shops were crowded. Surprisingly that made Neville happy. He liked crowds because he could hide in them and because the sales people were too distracted to focus solely on him. 

Shopping wasn't anything how he thought it would be. Harry and Remus made suggestions and gave their honest opinions, but let Neville pick out what he wanted. Unlike with his Grandmother, who had made all the selections and had Neville choose from among those. Remus and Harry even looked at things for themselves as well and Neville had a great time returning the favor by making his own suggestions.

Harry stood by a rack of woman's underwear, the only place in the store that was free of anyone else. Remus was by the changing rooms and Neville was trying on some dark jeans. Harry took a deep breath. His head was killing him, though he refused to let Remus or Neville know it. He was doing alright at Occlumency, but he was far from perfecting the ability and the emotions of the crowd were fading in and out of his barriers.

Remus' deep care, contentment, and happiness came loud and clear as Neville stepped out of the dressing room. Harry smiled as he felt his friend's pleasure, embarrassment, and joy. He really was having a good time. All of them were. The emotions disappeared, leaving Harry feeling trapped in his own skin, but the alternative of being overwhelmed by the hundreds of people around him was not acceptable, either. His headache got worse and he felt guilty. He really, really didn't want to ruin everyone's day.

"Harry? Are you alright?" Remus asked.

Harry looked up at him through sad, tired emerald eyes. "Yeah. I'm fine, Remus." He smiled and took his hand. "I just needed a break away from people. I'm better now."

"We can head back…" Remus offered with a frown.

“No," Harry quickly said and headed over to the pile of clothes he had collected. "I'm fine. Really. Do you think this shirt would look good on me?"

"Definitely, Harry,” Neville answered with a big smile. He had caught the last few words as he was coming out of the dressing room.

"You look great, Nev!" Harry smiled broadly. The Gryffindor was wearing blue jeans that fit perfectly with black boots and a matching belt. His shirt was a white silk button-down that had blue flames twining subtly up the sleeves.

"I think I like it,” Neville admitted with a shy blush.

Remus laughed. "Definitely."

"You should try this on, Remus." Harry held up a black shirt with a running wolf on the back.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry, Remus, and Neville sat at an outside table eating lunch. Remus and Neville were talking happily and Harry smiled at them. He was really happy the two were getting along so well and the hints of deeper emotions were encouraging. Neville needed someone to love him and Remus had so much love to give. They'd make a great team. He winced and brought up his drink to hide it a second before the sound of glass breaking.

Remus looked to the side and saw a girl glaring down at the young man she had been sitting with. Her glass lay shattered at their feet. Her angry words silenced the surrounding conversation and everyone watched as she stormed from the table. The young man's miserable expression told everyone all they needed to know and people turned back to their own conversations with sympathy or laughs.

The werewolf turned worried eyes to Harry and saw the young teen was pale and sweat beaded his forehead. He looked over at Neville and saw he was worried for their smaller companion as well. That decided him. He called for the check and they left quickly. Harry looked miserable and Neville tried to cheer him up.

"Don't feel bad, Harry,” he insisted. "You did really well. Your empathy is really powerful, and for you to have lasted as long as you did when you haven’t mastered Occlumency yet is really impressive. We were done shopping anyway. I don't think I can carry another bag."

Harry pouted. "But we were having such a good time."

"And we can still have a good time." Remus smiled reassuringly. "What do you say we put our things away and come back outside for a few games?"

"What kind of games?" Neville asked.

"It's really hot today. Why don't we have a water fight?"

"With water balloons?" Harry laughed, his upset falling behind him.

"Water balloons?" Neville frowned with confusion.

"Maybe we could get Severus to play!" Harry added.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry wasn't able to get Severus to play, but they did have a lot of fun. They made water guns and balloons inside the house with magic so no one would be able to detect it and then went outside and started a water war. At first it was every man for himself, but teams quickly began to form and break apart. Neville and Harry went against Remus, only for Neville to later turn against Harry, who in turn teamed up with Remus against him. It was a lot of fun and Omi took lots of pictures of their play. Severus sneered at them when they came in for dinner dripping wet.

"Ever hear of drying charms, Wolf?" he demanded, casting said charms at Harry.

"Thank you, Severus,” Harry said sweetly as Remus dried himself and Neville.

"How did your shields hold in town?" he asked as dinner was served.

"They blocked most everything, but some emotions got through. I also got a headache and it got worse the longer we were there."

"You didn't tell me you were in pain,” Remus scolded.

Severus ignored the werewolf. "The headache is due to maintaining incomplete shields. That will cease as soon as you successfully create a complete shield."

Remus shot a disappointed look at Harry while Neville looked worried. Neville relaxed when Harry gave him a smile. He smiled back, reassured Harry was okay.

"Thank you for letting us go to town,” Harry told the grumpy Head of Slytherin. "I really had a great time. Maybe you could take Nev and me next weekend. There's a great restaurant there."

Severus snorted, but he didn't say one way or another. 

Harry smiled triumphantly, Neville hid his own smile, and Remus laughed out loud. Of course that had the Potions Master glaring at them and lecturing them about safety and intelligence, but the three ignored his sharp words and waited patiently for dessert.

**xXxXxXx**

The next week passed quickly. Harry and Neville worked hard on their studies to become Animagi. Neville was making progress with meditating and Harry was progressing with Occlumency. Therapy sessions were a bit rocky as Harry began to experience anger, but his music when they went outside was becoming richer, proving he was getting better. He really was starting to move past all that had happened to him. It helped that Harry had such a positive environment and people that would return his love. The stability was healing him.

Remus came once or twice more, but he was often busy with Sirius. Harry was glad to be told that after his and Neville's birthday the ex-convict was coming back to the house to stay during the rest of break. In part because Sirius was getting much better and wanted to see Harry and in part due to the fact that Severus had no choice but to let him come. He was going to Hogwarts soon to prepare for the next semester and needed someone to stay with Harry. Remus wasn't an option due to the full moon being that week.

It wasn't until Friday when something spectacular occurred. For twenty six days, without a break, Severus and Neville had spent an hour and a half to two hours sitting peacefully in the same room as the severely traumatized Boy. The alter slept while Inside, so to Boy it felt like forty-five and a half hours straight of non-violent human company or pain of any kind and that was about to finally pay off.

Boy was hysterical for the first week. He was constantly rocking and hunching protectively around himself, crying and chanting pleas of mercy whenever one of them moved or spoke. That tapered off to where Boy's dull green eyes would watch them tearfully while they played chess, still rocking, but silent. He no longer startled at their voices or movements. He still flinched back and away when Severus approached to coax Harry back Out, but even that was lessening a bit. Tonight, Boy was about to make his first tentative gesture of trust and that would be the gateway to any possible healing he may receive.

Boy sat curled under the settee. Severus and Neville sat in their customary place in front of the fire, playing chess. Boy watched them for a little while and his eyes took in the rest of the room as his panic and fear fell back to an ignorable buzz at the back of his mind. The room looked warm and soft. There were few hard edges and most surfaces were covered with carpets, tapestries, and curtains.

Carefully, Boy reached and set his hand out from under the settee. The two people by the fire didn't notice. Eyes wide and unblinking to catch any sudden movement in the room, Boy placed his second hand by the first. Still no reaction, but he waited several minutes just to be sure. His eyes landed on the clear glass of juice and small plate of cookies on the coffee table in front of him. He crawled a few inches forward and froze. He glanced at the couple by the fire and still they ignored him. The dark-eyed man said something to the teen and the boy smiled as he moved another piece. Encouraged, Boy crawled out from under the settee and crouched down, shivering and waiting for the blows.

Severus watched all this from behind his shielding hair. His heart was beating fast. He hadn't said anything to Longbottom, but he was beginning to believe that the damage done to Boy was too extensive to heal. There was just too much trauma to try and overcome and Boy was not strong enough to face it. Until tonight, he saw little to give him hope. He softly ordered Neville not to move and the Gryffindor obeyed.

Boy huddled by the settee for a good twenty minutes. He was too afraid to move, absolutely certain he would be punished for being bad any second, but he wasn't. The people were ignoring him and he still wanted the juice and cookies. Trembling and beginning to cry silently, he shuffled toward the coffee table. It was too much. He was in the open and he was going to be hurt. It always hurt so very much! He curled up under the table and began to cry loudly, whispering promises that he'd be good.

Severus sighed and put Longbottom in check. So much for that progress, but Boy had at least come out from under the settee. That had to be progress, right? He discreetly looked over at the crying child under the table. Boy was terrified. He sighed again. He couldn't really see progress in that. Longbottom caught his eye and gave him a reassuring smile. Damn that optimistic brat! This wasn't a game of patience. There was a serious possibility that Boy couldn't be rehabilitated and in turn could never be reabsorbed by Harry without risking the chance of permanent insanity.

Then from the corner of his eye he saw a small hand dart out and grab a cookie before retreating back under the table. It was then he realized the crying had stopped. Longbottom beamed at him a bright smile of triumph. Severus snorted and placed the teen in check mate, but he couldn't stop the small smile that slowly brushed across his lips. Yes. Maybe Gryffindor optimism was contagious.

**xXxXxXx**

"So I'm getting better?" Harry asked as he crawled out from under the table later that night. As soon as he had returned, he had felt Neville's joy and Severus' relief.

“Hardly," Severus sneered and continued when Neville opened his mouth to speak. "But! … But there was finally some progress made. Boy demonstrated great courage and asserted himself."

"He ate the cookies!" Neville said in a happy rush, his face bright red.

Harry laughed and hugged him. Neville hugged him back tightly. 

Severus watched them for a minute before shaking his head and walking away. He called back, "Get some sleep. We leave for town first thing in the morning." He grinned when he heard the two teens cheer.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas opened his eyes when the tapping reached his ears. He quickly got up and went to the window. Malfoy's bird flew regally in and perched on the back of his chair. Silas checked the letter over and took it. The bird hooted and nipped at his fingers before flying away. Silas shook his head in bemusement before setting in the chair to read the letter.

_Dear Shadow,_

_I can't believe you took on and killed a Basilisk. That really is incredible. Do you know how rare Basilisks are? You would be richly compensated for the efforts of retrieving just a few of the Basilisk's parts. I hardly see how last year can top that, but I have a feeling it did._

_But enough of that, I have news for you. Bertha Jorkins, who worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs at the Ministry, disappeared, but the Ministry is not too worried about looking for her. Seems the higher-ups are content with her staying missing. I have suspicions that she's dead because I heard rumors from a credible source that certain circles are becoming active once again and she stumbled onto one of their plots. Most people don't live to tell any tales after something like that. Supposedly, she's on vacation, but my father told me she was told to take a few days off due to her being distracted and agitated. Her behavior was the result of stepping on some plot and she was just collateral damage._

_Yours truly,_

_Serpentine_

Silas leaned back thoughtfully, eyes narrowed. Was it this Bertha Jorkins he had seen in his vision? What plot did she stumble over? He knew Draco was telling him the Death Eaters were moving, that was obvious, but was he saying that they were setting something up with the tournament? Why else would he add the bit about foreign affairs, which in his last letter related to the tournament being held at Hogwarts? Well, in any case, the Slytherin had given him much to think about.

He was only paying his response half his attention since he had long ago decided how he would explain last year and this summer. His mind was whirling with the information he'd been given. He desperately wanted to know what the Death Eaters were up to, but he couldn't blatantly ask Draco. That would put him too much in the blond's debt and power. No. He'd have to wait and hope Draco would let some more information slip in future letters.

When he finished his reply, he sealed it up and hid it. He considered practicing Occlumency some more, but he decided to go to sleep. Snape was taking them to town tomorrow and he wanted to be rested and ready for anything that might happen.

**Chapter End**

**A/N:** What do you guys think? Story still going good? I plan to have the boys' fourteenth birthday in the next chapter and maybe get to the World Cup. We'll see how it goes.


	26. Discovering the Truth

**Discovering the Truth**

Neville and Harry followed after Severus and into the town. It was much busier than last Saturday with Remus. Neville looked at Harry worriedly, but the green-eyed teen smiled easily. Not a hundred percent convinced, he promised himself he'd keep an eye on his friend. Severus led them through the crowds to a café. It wasn't the one they ate at last time. When Harry mentioned this, Severus assured him that this one was the better choice.

“So what was it that you wanted to do here?" the Potion's Master asked with a sneer.

"I don't know." Harry shrugged, sipping his tea. "I don't think we need to shop, do we, Neville?"

"Not unless Professor Snape needs anything,” the Gryffindor assured. He reached for the last cookie, but made sure the others had time to stop him if they wanted it. No one did.

Their professor glared at the happy, ignorant Muggles passing them on the street. "I wouldn’t have shopped here even had I needed anything.”

"We could go to the park." Harry said, smiling up at his mentor. He was shielding, but he still picked up on both of his companions' emotions every few minutes. Severus wasn't nearly as disdainful as he appeared. In fact, he was rather content.

“Alright," Neville agreed.

"Follow me." Severus sighed and led the boys down the street.

There were a lot of people at the park. A group of boys in particular were playing around with a ball and caught Harry's attention. "May we go play?" he asked hopefully. "I've always wanted to."

Severus inclined his head. "You may."

"Let's go, Nev!" 

Harry dragged his blushing friend off and asked the groups of boys if they could join. They were allowed into the group and soon they were laughing and fighting to score points. Severus watched them from a bench. A woman with a newspaper was sitting next to him and she looked at him with cool blue eyes. Without a word, she offered a section of the paper and Severus accepted it politely. Half an hour later, they traded portions and continued reading. The boys played on.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville had been shocked when Harry pulled him over to the other teens. He hadn't wanted to say anything since Harry had said he'd always wanted to play, but he knew he wasn't good at sports and that he'd only get in the way. He reluctantly listened to the rules (which seemed a bit random to him) and took up a position next to Harry.

The black-haired boy was very happy and ran about trying to score. Neville watched for a while, just relaxing. No one was demanding he be more active. No one was sneering or laughing because they thought it ridiculous that he was even trying. Mostly, everyone ignored him in favor of the game. He had almost completely relaxed with relief when Harry called his name and threw the ball to him. He caught it only because he was surprised. If he had time to think about what was happening, he would have fumbled it.

Everyone was turned toward him and a few were charging in his direction. He was in so much trouble! Then something really amazing happened. His feet began to run without him ordering them to. He dodged and jumped and miraculously scored a goal for his team. Harry jumped on him, laughing joyfully, and the others patted him on the back with a cheer.

Neville looked around at all the faces looking back at him with smiles and felt something burn in his chest. He'd never felt so accepted before! And look what he did! He’ d scored! Shouting excitedly, Neville threw himself into the game. He scored a handful more times and assisted on even more goals. He felt powerful and competent and happy.

He was surprised that he wasn't getting tired and realized that the hours of physical training were really paying off. In fact, he wasn't near as chubby as he used to be. Why hadn't he noticed it before? With sudden realization, he understood what Remus and Harry had been trying to get him to understand. He had more potential than he ever let himself believe. He _was_ stronger than he thought. He _wasn't_ the clumsy and worthless boy he always thought he was. Remus and Harry weren't mistaken about him! They were right!

**xXxXxXx**

They had been playing for a good three hours when Harry peeled away from the group. Severus had been watching him, having long ago finished the paper. He noticed immediately that something was wrong. Had Harry run around too much and gotten tired? Was that why he was clutching his chest?

Severus stood and walked quickly over to his charge. It was something more than just being out of breath. Harry's eyes were dilated and he was hyperventilating. Grabbing the boy's thin wrists, Severus could feel the boy's heart pounding hard and fast. Harry whimpered, his fingers flexing into claws, and collapsed to his knees.

Severus hissed in a breath as he suddenly understood and snapped up his strongest Occlumency shields around the boy. Harry immediately relaxed and began to pant. Lifting the smaller teen, he carried him back to the bench and sat him down. He wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders and carefully brushed against the boy's mind.

Harry's shields had collapsed and the boy had been overwhelmed by all the excitement and competitive aggression of the playing teens. Neville's adrenaline rush of freedom had been powerful as well. Severus gently calmed the pain of overexposure and helped build Harry's barriers again. The teen sagged against him, tears streaking down his face. Neville had just realized Harry was no longer with him and looked around frantically. Severus caught his attention and waved him back to the game. The Gryffindor hesitated but did as he was told.

"Harry? Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"Yes. Thank you, Severus,” Harry answered weekly. "I… The barriers fell without warning and… I got so lost in it… It hurt really bad and I couldn't tell where I was…"

"It's alright. They're up again now,” Severus promised. "Do you wish to return home?"

Harry smiled a bit at that. He was again trapped in his own skin and knew the rush of happiness at the word home was all his. He didn't think he'd ever get over his joy at finally having one. "Neville's still playing. He's having a good time,” he managed to say.

"He's worried about you. I think his fun is over,” Severus countered and helped the teen to stand. "Longbottom! We're leaving!"

Neville waved a hurried goodbye and ran over. Harry apologized for ruining the game, but the Gryffindor was quick to put him at ease. Instead he questioned Harry closely, making sure the smaller boy was alright. Harry endured the fussing with a sweet smile as they followed their teacher home.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus was worried. He couldn't understand what happened today. Why hadn't one of Harry's alters come Out when the boy began getting overwhelmed? It had been so bad that Harry had collapsed, and he couldn't imagine Gabriel or Silas letting Harry's condition deteriorate so far without intervening.

"Dinner is ready, Master,” Omi popped into his study to tell him.

"Fetch the boys."

"Yes, sir."

Severus leaned back in his chair and put his hand over his eyes. What was he missing? Something was nagging at the back of his mind. He _knew_ he was missing something and that _irritated_ him to no end. But what was it… Relaxing, he let images and memories surface in his mind on their own.

He saw again Gabriel's violent defense of Silas when he had forced a confrontation with the Slytherin teen. The Gryffindor alter had come Out twice to protect the Silas.

The complete control and dominance Silas seemed to have over the others. He could force an alter Out or hold one back. His decisions seemed to be worth more than Gabriel's.

Severus remembered asking Silas if it bothered him that he was going to be reabsorbed by Harry and the alter had responded with a noncommittal 'yes and no'.

Silas taking the memories and psychological damage of Kitten. How long ago had that even happened? How could Silas do such a thing when it was Harry who reabsorbed her? If anyone was going to sacrifice themselves to save Harry from damage, Gabriel seemed the likelier candidate.

Harry seemed rather obedient to his Slytherin alter. He looked to Silas for answers, followed his advice. Severus knew Harry had wanted to tell him much sooner about hearing his alters in his mind, but that Silas had stopped him. He also knew that Harry had wanted to forgive him sooner, but that Silas hadn't let him. And that was odd, wasn't it? Silas should have to cave to Harry's desires, not the other way around…

That's it! Severus sat bolt upright, his eyes wide. Dread began to grow in his stomach and he knew what had been bothering him. Silas… Silas had more power than a normal alter should… The other alters revolved around him more than they should; Harry especially… But if his suspicions were correct… Grimly, he stood and made his way to dinner. He'd get his answers before the night was through.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry smiled happily at his friend. "You look great, Nev."

Neville looked down at one of his new outfits and smiled back, this time without the blush compliments usually gave him. "Thank you. I feel good."

"Can I ask?" Harry's eyes sparkled with happiness as he took his seat across from his friend at the dinner table.

"It's hard to explain." Neville shook his head and sat. "I just realized a few things."

"Well, whatever happened, I'm really glad it did,” Harry announced, bobbing his head, sending his wild hair bouncing. 

Neville laughed.

Severus entered the room and gave his customary sneer before he took his seat. Omi appeared and dinner was served.

"Thank you for taking us to town. We had a lot of fun,” Harry offered.

"Yes, thank you,” Neville agreed.

Severus inclined his head. "You are welcome.”

"Do you think I'll ever get good enough at Occlumency to not have fits like those?" Harry asked, toying with his peas.

"You will. You've only been practicing for twenty-four days." Severus stared hard at the teen. "Give yourself time."

"I've been studying meditation for much longer than that and I still don't get it right every time I try." Neville smiled crookedly.

Harry smiled back, sitting straighter. He chatted happily about the game they played at the park and wondered if they might be able to get others to play with them once they returned to school. Neville thought they might if there was nothing else to do, but it would be hard to get them to want to play when most everyone would be thinking about Quidditch. Severus listened to them talk absently, his attention on plans for the therapy session he'd demand once dinner was over.

**xXxXxXx**

"Severus? Is everything okay?" Harry asked as he followed his teacher to the parlor. Neville had been dismissed back to his room, but their teacher had demanded that Harry follow him.

Dark lank hair hanging around his face, Severus entered the room and gestured the boy to his customary place. "I have a few questions for Silas."

Harry sat, but his eyes were still wide with worry. "Why? What's going on?"

"I merely have a few questions. That is all,” Severus answered evenly as he shut the doors and took his seat across from the teen. It didn't bode well that the boy was being protective as well. "Why? Is there something you wish to tell me?"

Harry's eyes grew wider behind his glasses and then he looked quickly to his lap, his hands folded and tense in his lap.

Severus' eyes narrowed minutely with suspicion, but he kept it from his voice. "Harry. You do know that I am here to help you. You shouldn't be afraid to tell me anything. I thought we had an understanding between us."

"Is Silas in trouble, sir?"

"Why do you ask?"

Harry's face went blank for a split second before his eyebrows came down and his mouth flattened in an unhappy line. "What are you up to, Snape?" Gabriel demanded. "What do you want?"

Severus wasn't quite sure what to say. He just stared at the teen and wondered what was going on. He didn't enjoy being lied to, but he absolutely loathed being manipulated and that's exactly what he feared had happened since Silas had sent him that note almost a year ago.

"Well, thanks for the sparkling conversation. We'll have to do this again sometime…" Gabriel stood, but Severus stopped him before he could even turn around.

"Running away, Gabriel. That is very surprising. I'm beginning to wonder just what is going on."

Gabriel glared, green eyes as fierce as any lion’s. "I'm not running away, Snape. And it's me who's wondering what's up with you. Do you need something or not?"

"Why didn't you come Out this afternoon when Harry became overwhelmed? Did it not concern you that he had collapsed in the middle of a muggle park?" Severus frowned in disdain, but his eyes were wide and watchful.

"You were there. He was safe enough. Besides, you told us not to interfere when you were teaching or giving therapy to Harry. I figured this was more of the same. I would have helped if it got out of control,” Gabriel defended himself, but his posture told Severus that he was worried about something. He was protecting some secret.

"I see." He smiled a small, chilling smile. "I'm pleased to know you have such faith in my ability to protect Harry. I'll keep that in mind for the future."

"It has nothing to do with protecting him,” Gabriel snapped. "I figured you were the best to deal with the shields since that _is_ what you are teaching him."

"Where is Silas?" he asked softly.

"Where do you think?" Gabriel said with a curled lip of disgust. "You're losing it, Snape."

Severus stared at the teen silently. Gabriel had taken a half-step backward at his question. This was territory the Gryffindor would not willingly venture into. If Snape pushed, Gabriel would push back twice as hard. He'd have to try a different track. "I told Silas that he was to have therapy with me twice a week. It's been ten days since our first session. I've been tolerant. I won't wait any longer for him to come to me."

"This could be done tomorrow." Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Harry's had a big day. We should get some sleep."

"The door won't unlock until I allow it,” he said as he stood. 

Gabriel turned slowly, his face flat and unyielding. 

"I don't want to fight with you. You trust me to protect Harry, you've already said as much. You agreed with me that Silas can't hide and run from his trauma. So why are you fighting this?"

Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest and waited, his feet braced and bent slightly. He was ready to fight. Suddenly, his face registered surprise and then he shrugged, uncrossing his arms. "Don't push him, Snape. I mean it." 

Severus inclined his head, half an inch in acknowledgement, and then the teen's face went blank and Silas rose to the surface. 

Silas smiled. "The last I remember telling you is to fuck off. I can hardly imagine how that led you to believe I'd be back for more sessions."

Silas stood in a typical languid pose, but Severus noticed that the teen's shoulders drooped just a bit and his green eyes were darker, duller. Snape thought he looked tired, of all things, and that made his worry climb another level. 

"I wasn't under the impression that the sessions were a choice,” he answered smoothly and gestured to the couch.

Silas looked at it for a long minute. He was clearly deciding what the best move would be. Eventually, he decided to sit. Standing would only make it seem like he was defensive, which in turn would signify he had something to hide. It was beside the point that he did have things to hide. The point was to make the damn Head of Slytherin think he held no more secrets. Obviously, something had his knickers in a twist, but Silas was confident he could field any accusations or suspicions. If only his head would clear…

He blinked and focused on the man sitting across from him. Their teacher had his fingers up and laced before his mouth. His black eyes were especially guarded and penetrating. His hair was brushed back away from his face and his legs were crossed. It looked like the man would never be moved from his position, but after only five minutes of silence (which Silas was grateful for, as they allowed him time to come fully alert), the Potions Master lowered his hands to his lap and started whatever this was.

"Why did you allow Harry to come to the point of collapse today?" he asked neutrally.

Silas blinked slowly and stalled. "He was not injured."

**It was about ten minutes after you collapsed yourself,** Gabriel supplied grimly. **I think the abrupt loss of your awareness undermined Harry's Occlumency shields. They began to crumble, but Harry was too distracted to notice. By the time he did, it was too late and he was swamped by the crowd's emotions. He managed to get halfway to Snape before his legs gave out and the Professor was able to help rebuild and steady his shields. No harm done.**

**And you didn't act because…?** Silas questioned coldly.

**I didn't realize what was happening ’til it was too late too,** Gabriel admitted. **I was busy taking you to your room, and when I came back to the sitting room, Harry was already overwhelmed. I tried going Out then but couldn't. His mind was too chaotic. And then there was no point because Snape had fixed his shields.**

"That is beside the point,” Severus drawled, unaware of the quick mental conversation between the alters. "You are usually more vigilant than this."

**I hardly need you to tuck me into bed!** Silas snapped angrily.

**Don't blame this on me!** Gabriel yelled back, twice as infuriated. **I told you that you needed to rest! You hadn't slept for days! What did you think was going to happen, Sy? I thought you could trust me? Why won't you let me help you with whatever in the hell has you so worked up that you won't allow yourself to sleep for even a few hours?**

**Not now, Gabe,** Silas responded tiredly and then tensed. That was the first time he had called the Gryffindor by his nickname, let alone called him anything without derision. Gabriel was just as shocked, he knew. Nothing else could shut the insufferable alter up when he was on a righteous tirade.

"I also don't act without reason,” Silas replied out loud, just before the silence went on too long. "Interference was not needed. I am surprised that you are so bothered by our lack of involvement, Snape. I thought that was what you wanted to encourage: Harry's independence."

"I want to encourage healing." Snape shook his head once. "And if there is an… internal problem, then that must be addressed."

"Of course there is an internal problem,” Silas sneered viciously. "That's the reason we are here."

"Enough beating around the bush,” Severus decided and pushed his hair away from his face for a direct confrontation. "I was hesitant to speak my suspicions, but now I am certain that I am correct." Silas watched him through tense guarded eyes. Severus relaxed his posture, trying to become as unthreatening as he could. "You are the true Core personality. Not Harry."

Silas did not flinch. He shook his head and answered, "Harry is our Host."

"I didn't say he wasn't." Severus leaned back and sighed. "I don't know why you did it, but you relinquished the responsibility and control of being the Host to your own alter. That doesn't change the fact that… You are the Core mind."

Silas looked away, saying nothing. His face was absolutely blank; his eyes were completely closed off. Gabriel knew that was as good as a written agreement from the Slytherin. 

**What?** he breathed, shocked. **What is he talking about? What does that mean?**

"Did nothing I say last time affect you, Silas? I'm asking you to let me help you."

**Sy?** Gabriel prodded. He wasn't going to subside this time until he had answers.

“Alright," Silas said grimly, his teeth gritted. He looked back to their teacher and met the mildly concerned gaze. "Yes. It's true, but I hardly see how it matters."

"I hardly see how it does not,” Severus countered softly. "I'm not even sure… of all the consequences of doing what you've done… Can you tell me? Why did you do it?"

Silas sighed. He was just so tired, and he honestly didn't see how it mattered. Gabriel, of course, didn't agree and was clambering for an explanation. Abruptly he didn't care that he was in front of Severus. He leaned forward, braced his elbows on his knees, and put his head in his hands.

"I'm only going to explain this once. Forgive me if I repeat anything you already know, but the moronic Gryffindor is a little slow and he wants answers too now. So both of you listen up"

Severus said nothing. The broken posture of the teen across from him worried him more than ever and, to be honest, he could do with a more thorough explanation himself. He wasn't quite sure what he was dealing with now.

"Growing up with the Dursleys hardly provides an environment for a child to cultivate their sweetness or naiveté. I believed I was severely neglected and starved, living in a cupboard, getting beat up at school, being forced to do all of my cousin's work, and listening to him get praised and loved when he was everything I was being wrongly punished for. Sure, I had secret hopes and fantasies. I had no trouble imagining the Dursleys were liars, so I imagined my parents were delayed for any number of reasons, but would eventually come rescue me, tie the Dursleys to chairs, blow the house up with them still in it, and take me off into the sunset showering me with love and praises, but that was a deep, hidden away part of me that I hardly indulged, let alone showed to anyone else. Mostly, I was bitter and cynical and cunning. I had to survive and those were the tools that would get me through. I would have been angry and murderous as well if it weren't for Demon siphoning off the more powerful anger and hate. In a way, that kept me sane. But in another, it only made me colder since anger can sometimes purify you."

**I still don't understand,** Gabriel said weakly.

"Let me describe how I got my letter and my creating of the new Host, Harry. Maybe that will clear up the confusion." Silas laughed bitterly and sat straight. Severus was staring, still silent. "I was in my cupboard, no surprise there. I could hear Aunt Petunia doing the dishes in the kitchen and Dudley watching TV in the living room. I was always waiting for chances to open the cupboard and let in a little light and knew the coast was clear. I cracked the door open just enough to see and brought out my mostly broken army men…"

Silas projected his memory of the fantasy game he played to both Severus and Gabriel… _He looked over the hilly terrain and back down at the report one of his scouts had given him. The enemy's number was seven and they were spread out in a semicircle facing his troops. It would be difficult, but he knew he could get his men to the other side. Ordering two off to play as decoy, he led his squad through the gap and then stood and had his team shoot them in the back. Harry grinned and threw up his arms triumphantly. Victory! …_

"Very Slytherin, wasn't it?" he questioned his two listeners. "A stealth attack geared toward victory…" He shook his head with a bemused smile. "But to continue… Aunt Petunia heard the mail being delivered. I quickly shut the door, so as not to be punished. I heard her screech that Dudley's summer report card had come through. He got C's and she was very happy and promised to get him stuff. You see, I did Dudley's homework. I didn't mind since I was allowed out of the cupboard as long as I was doing homework or chores (remember I didn't know about Boy or Rose yet) and it was at least a little bit more difficult than my own class work. My teachers had wanted to skip me a grade, but since then I purposely did poorly. I didn't want to be in the same class as Dudley, he hurt me enough as it was on the playground or walking to or from school. I didn't want to give him more chances at me. That, and I was sure if I began doing exceptionally better than Dudley, I would be punished severely for it at home. So I decided it was best to play stupid and stay where I was. Cunning, no? 

“Anyway, the next day was Sunday and mail doesn't come on Sunday, but I found my Hogwart's letter. Uncle Vernon was bellowing for me to bring him whatever had come through the mail slot, but I lied and threw it in my cupboard. I knew he wouldn't let me have it and I wanted to see who had written to me. I had never gotten mail before. The next thing I know, I'm in my cupboard. I assume Rose or Boy came Out. I don't know. I started opening the letter, but Dudley came in and saw. We fought over it. I don't remember much what happened after that. Day after day, more letters came and I supposedly spent that time in my cupboard sulking and plotting. Once, I remember creeping out of the cupboard to see if there were pieces of the letter in the trash, but there weren't. Aunt Petunia probably burnt them. Uncle Vernon got crazed and there were too many letters to fight against, so he took us far away to a rickety cabin on a tiny island. Hagrid came and told me it was my birthday. I knew I had one, of course, but I had never been told which day specifically it was. More importantly than that, he told me the truth about my past and about the wizarding world.

"He took me to Diagon Alley and I did my best to stay to the shadows and learn as much as I could, since no one seemed inclined to sit me down and explain the how's and why's of everything. It was like having to learn a whole new language. I asked questions and listened, but it was hard because as soon as someone figured out who I was they'd freak and stare dumbly at my scar. I realized then that things were serious. I had to be careful.

"Next, I learned about the Houses. I learned that Voldemort was Slytherin and had murdered my parents and that all Slytherins were evil, but when Ron described the qualities of the Houses, I knew I was more like that of Slytherin than any other and I began to worry. I had been bullied and belittled all my life, and I wasn't pleased I'd most likely go to the House that was full of evil children. I didn't want to be evil, either. Sure, I wanted to be safe and protect myself from people like the Dursleys, but actively hurting others wasn't an interest of mine. Mostly, I wanted to be left alone. But I was The-Boy-Who-Lived and even though I wasn't a hundred percent sure what that entailed, I knew it was important and that everyone was expecting things from me. I was willing to do about anything to prevent being hated and treated poorly as I was at the Dursleys. I liked the way Ron was talking to me as if I were his friend already and didn't want that to change. More importantly, if I disappointed everyone, could I be kicked out of Hogwarts and sent back to my relative's house?

"So I began plotting how I could get myself assigned to Gryffindor. I started to mimic Ron and I insulted Draco, a sure Slytherin, but I knew as soon as the Hat hit my head that there was no way to bluff my way clear. It was about to put me in Slytherin.I admit it, I was scared. I ran away and left behind only the most innocent and brave aspects of myself. Doing that, I became aware my other personalities and what they stood for. I had gone so deep that there was no hiding the information. I just knew that a new personality was being created out of the raw attributes and personality aspects that I had abandoned to confront the Hat, but that I was still… I don't know… central or dominant. I knew that wouldn't work, so I shoved the new alter, Harry, to the front, forced him ahead of the rest of us and he became… I don't know, like a mask.

"If you've ever seen the manifestations of our mind, it seems like a sitting room that is shared by all with personalized bedrooms branching off of it, but in reality, the sitting room _is_ Harry's bed room. That's why it is easier to look out of Harry's eyes when we are in it. The other bedrooms branch off of it because I forced it to and Harry became Host. That's why his room doesn't look like a bedroom like the rest of us. He was made to accommodate all of us. He is neutral and pure and innocent and not self-centered. The rest of us are self-centered and so we have rooms that reflect only ourselves. Harry's room is open to all of us because he is there for all of us. He exists to keep us safe and favored in the Wizarding world."

**My god…** Gabriel couldn't believe it. **But then why am I driven to protect Harry?**

"Gabriel wants to know why he protects Harry so passionately and I'm sure you wonder why I do as well…" Silas rubbed his hands on his face. "It's complicated. Harry isn't fake or an actor. He really is a part of me. He was the deeply hidden part of me, my innocence. I… Of course I want to protect that. Everyone is protective of their hearts and I had risked mine because it was necessary, but that doesn't mean I'm any more inclined to let Harry be damaged. Harry is my most vulnerable self, and it is only instinct and reflex to guard him as best as I can. As for Gabriel… He was born from Harry even though it was I who initiated the split. He was breaking and suffering… I couldn't allow that, so I… separated the parts in conflict. I tried to draw the rejected parts back into myself, but… I had underestimated Harry's… or I guess my own… desperation to protect others. It wouldn't be drawn in and managed to become an alter of its own. And thus Gabriel was born."

"And Gabriel is quick to defend you as well,” Severus pointed out.

“True," Silas said with a faint smile. "That was unsurprising."

**Humph,** Gabriel said with a sulk.

"How is it that Harry can absorb the other alters?"

"He is Host. In essence, he is my equal. He has all the same abilities I do, but I guess, as the Core personality, I have the final say. He is able to create alters, Gabriel and Kit, and he can merge with them, Kit and Rose, so when I say it doesn't matter, I really meant it. It doesn't matter who's Host or Core. It's all the same to us. We're all essentially the same person, anyway."

"True, but it could make a huge difference in your treatment,” Severus argued, face dark with a forbidding frown. "You should have made me aware of this immediately."

**Here, her,.** Gabriel grumbled his agreement.

"It doesn't change Harry's therapy,” Silas argued. "You agreed that it was best I deal with Kit and it’s best that Boy is dealt with by himself. This is all more of the same. Harry needs to deal with what he's been given. I'm dealing with mine. Nothing's changed."

"Except for the fact that you have no inclination to be united with the rest of your mind. That is a huge impediment to healing, wouldn't you agree?" Severus sneered.

"Look. I'm aware that it’s better for me to be whole, but at the moment that isn't possible or even advisable." Silas stood and paced away from his glaring teacher. He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall, not too obviously close to the door. "If I merged back with Boy, I'd be insane. It would take years and still the possibility of rehabilitation is questionable. Neither can I merge with Harry. Our position in Hogwarts and the Wizarding world is still unstable. It wouldn't be wise to change my behavior and attitude. As for Gabriel… well, Harry and I both have our hands full. I don't recommend trying to merge with him yet, either."

"Has it even occurred to you that separation from your… innocence, as you call it… has made you that much more into what I was warning you against. You need to be reunited with Harry!"

Silas had had enough. His eyes were no longer tired but cold and hard. "I don't care, Snape. I don't know how much clearer I can make this. I don't care what you think is best for me. You are merely my teacher and, though I recognize all the help you have given Harry, Gabriel, and me, your role can only go so far. Ultimately, it is my decision what is best for us and I've made it. Continue on with Harry and Boy, but I will not accept therapy from you. I will not discuss this ever again. If you can't accept this, then we are finished here."

Severus knew instantly that he had pushed the Slytherin into a corner. He was lucky Silas hadn't lashed out more violently or viciously than he had. He needed to back off and think about things. He needed to consider all the pieces with the new understanding he had won. In actuality, he had gained a whole lot more than he had expected.

If Silas hadn't been as tired (the source of that still remained a mystery and a worry), he most likely would have had to maneuver for every little scrap of the story he’d been told. Gabriel's demands had probably helped as well. The point was, he had gotten cooperation and couldn't afford to destroy the shaky trust that had been offered him due to impatience. So he inclined his head in agreement and unlocked the door. Silas left without a word.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas went immediately up to their room and shut the door. He didn't want Neville or Omi disturbing him. He honestly regretted telling Snape so much, but he had seen no other course of action. Snape would have worried at his suspicions and he really couldn't afford Snape being distracted right now or annoying him when he had other things to worry about. And Gabriel would have pestered him for answers as well, so he figured it was best to tell them both at once so he wouldn't have to repeat himself. That decision was probably made due to fatigue and he probably would have chosen to lie to Snape, but tell Gabriel the truth later had he been more rested. He stripped and lay out on the bed, sighing with frustration. He just knew he'd be pissed at himself tomorrow for the slips he had made.

His natural inclination was to lie to Gabriel as well as Snape, but he _had_ understood the moral of Snape's story and was making an effort to trust the stupid Gryffindor. He honestly _did_ understand the potential threat he posed to himself and others as long as his kinder inclinations were stripped from him. That was another reason Harry was in the Host position and, even when Silas disagreed or was irritated, he usually followed Harry's lead.

He let Harry have his friends, did he not? He was even letting them stay with the people Harry loved, even though that REALLY bothered him. He was logical and intelligent and he was doing the best he could to check his own weaknesses as well as the weaknesses of the other alters. He wasn’t doing a bad job of it, damn it! There was no reason to change the way things were being handled.

He closed his eyes and dropped back In, gently manipulating Harry's awareness into sleep as he sank. Gabriel was waiting for him in the sitting room. His arms were crossed over his chest and his auburn hair fell over into his face as he glared up at him with his chin mulishly tucked in toward his chest.

Silas glared right back. "What, Gabriel? What would you have me do?"

Gabriel looked up at the Slytherin and didn't know whether to shrug and admit he couldn't see how this changed anything or be pissed because the Slytherin had been lying to him. In the end, the dark circles he saw under the other teen's blue-gray eyes made him sigh and relax his aggressive posture, but he maintained his glare.

"I may be accepting all this Core and Host crap, but it's only 'cause I don't really give a damn. Either way, I'm going to be here to help all of us, but this refusing to sleep until you fall over has got to stop."

Silas sneered. "Yes, mother."

"I'm serious, Sy. Tell me what's going on,” Gabriel warned.

Silas didn't answer immediately and just when Gabriel thought he'd have to fight for the answers, Silas sat at the other end of the couch with a sigh. "Don't you think I've spilled my guts enough for one night?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Are you planning on going to sleep?"

"Not particularly."

Gabriel grinned wolfishly. "Then you have time to spill. You don't have anything else to do."

"Are you blackmailing me?" Silas lifted a thin eye-brow.

Gabriel laughed. "I'm not above using any weapon at my disposal for a good cause."

"Maybe you can be taught." Silas smiled tiredly.

"So? What's been keeping you up?" Gabriel grew serious. Like any good fighter, it was difficult to distract him from his goal.

"I will only discuss this if you swear to me on your honor that you will never talk about this with anyone else,” Silas demanded, eyes boring into Gabriel's.

"I swear,” he promised sincerely.

Silas thought carefully about how he was going to present his worries. One thing was true, he was only willing to trust the Gryffindor with so much, and his letters to and from Draco were not on that list. "I am worried about what I saw in my vision. That has made me sleep less, and then the other day, I read a newspaper and found an article that reported a Bertha Jorkins was missing. She worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and had been acting oddly. She was given a vacation and just disappeared. They fear she is dead. I have a feeling that she is the woman I saw killed in my vision."

"Is that why you get the visions? You're the Core?" Gabriel asked.

“Yes," Silas snapped. "Do you want to hear this or not?"

"I do, I do." Gabriel put up his hands in a soothing gesture. "I won't interrupt again."

Silas sniffed doubtfully but continued. "I'm worried Voldemort is about to make a move. We know he's coming back to England and Wormtail is helping him. He may already be back by now, but what could a Foreign Affairs agent know that would give a broken Dark Lord enough courage to come back to where he had been repeatedly defeated? And why was she released to begin with? It almost sounds like the symptoms of an Obliviate, but Voldemort now has whatever she was forced to forget, and who is most likely to Obliviate someone, but a Death Eater or Dark supporter?”

"That's not good,” Gabriel frowned, "but we can't do anything about it. Worrying will only weaken you. You should rest and conserve your strength so that when an opportunity comes for us to do something about it, we can."

"Reacting is all well and good." Silas sneered. "I prefer to have a plan of action before shit hits the fan."

"Silas," Gabriel said earnestly. "As soon as we know more, we'll think of something, but you can't run yourself into the ground like this. You need sleep. In fact, Snape woke you up too soon with all his bloody questions. Why don't you go back to bed?"

Silas hesitated, but the Gryffindor looked very stubborn, so he gave in and retired to his bedroom. He couldn't sleep, however. He had only told Gabriel some of the pieces he knew. In fact, he knew for sure that Bertha was Obliviated because she had stumbled on a Death Eater plot. And he knew she then was kidnapped by Wormtail and brought before Voldemort, who raped her mind and was very pleased by two things he found.

The first thing, Silas knew to be the mystery Death Eater plot, which Silas also suspected related back to the information Draco had given him weeks ago about a second escapee from Azkaban. The second piece of information Voldemort had acquired had to have been from Bertha herself, which would relate back to Foreign affairs, which in turn related back to either the World Cup or the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The question was what was he going to do about it and how was he going to find out more? The answer was Draco.

He subtly sent Gabriel to sleep. Harry was already sleeping. He slipped Out and looked at a clock. He had several hours before midnight and Draco's bird would be back for his response to the letter he had received the day before. Sitting cross-legged, he began working on Occlumency. It was difficult to clear his mind, but he managed.

**xXxXxXx**

The week and a half leading up to the boys' birthday was uneventful. Severus didn't press the Silas issue and the alter was subdued, not only from worry and plotting but also because of fatigue. Gabriel kept his eye on the Slytherin and did his best to force him to rest, but it was a constant battle. Thankfully, battles were his thing and he never gave it up.

Harry and Neville worked hard and in ignorance of what Severus had found out. Severus knew he'd have to tell Harry eventually, but he saw no harm in waiting until he had decided on a plan of action to deal with the reticent Slytherin alter. The boys were happy and it was a shame to encroach on that, especially since they both were making excellent progress in all three areas of study.

They were getting closer to being able to accomplish the Animagus Transformation. First, they must understand the magical theory of the spell and the biological/psychological changes it induces. Second, they would need to correctly make the very complicated Animagus Revealing Potion because you couldn't buy it. The person going to use it had to make it themselves or it wouldn’t work. Third, they must research the personality type attributed to their animal and have a full comprehension of that animal's biology. Last, they would then have to cast the spell correctly on the first try. If the first transformation was incorrect in anyway, the witch or wizard would never get a second chance and the Animagus Transformation would be denied them forever. It was no easy task and usually took years to perform, but the boys were already in the middle of the second step. Soon they'd be ready to brew the potion. Severus had been certain this step would slow them down, considering the two wizards involved, but Neville's ability improved greatly outside the classroom and due to his rising self-confidence and Harry's ability increased due to his newly discovered experience with cooking and love for plants.

In their other studies, Neville was able to reach a deep meditative state on his own and Harry finally mastered a complete Occluding shield. As they practiced, they'd be able to maintain these states of mind for longer periods. Their physical training was going well. Remus was enjoying teaching Neville and the boy was learning twice as fast under the gentle tutelage. Gabriel, on the other hand, actually preferred Severus' aggressive teaching style and was getting steadily better. Severus thought it would only be a couple of months before the teen was his equal and Severus was skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He was considering introducing the Gryffindor to weapons once they reached Hogwarts.

Remus came by whenever he could: an hour every day for Neville's physical training and at least twice a week he'd stay for dinner and do things with them at night. He brought news that Sirius was doing much better and it had been decided that he'd be allowed to come to the house for good the day before Harry and Neville's birthday. Since Neville was going back home the morning of their birthday and Severus would have to leave on August seventh for Hogwarts, Sirius and Remus would be the only ones to look after Harry until the first of September.

Aware that they'd soon be separated for a month, the boys used every spare minute of free time they had on having as much fun as they could. They played in the game room, worked on their music and art, had pillow fights, and even roped Omi into helping them make a treasure hunt and talked Remus into playing with them. They also talked.

"I can't believe you leave in two days." Harry sighed. He lay on his stomach on his bed. Neville sat on the floor with his back against the mattress, allowing Harry to look over his shoulder as he flipped through his sketch book. Harry had already picked two he really liked and Neville promised to get them framed for him.

"I know. Time went really fast." Neville shut the book and climbed up into bed next to his best friend. Harry curled up against his side and he smiled as he wrapped an arm around Harry's back. "It might be nice going home for a bit, though. My head hurts from all the stuff I've crammed into it and I have pulled muscles and bruises from day after day of training."

"I know what you mean." Harry laughed. "But it's definitely worth it."

"Yeah. It definitely is,” Neville agreed with a happy sigh. "It hasn't been easy, but I don't think I'd change a thing."

"You haven't cut in a long time,” Harry said softly, carefully monitoring the other's emotions to know if he should stop. 

Neville tensed, but there was a grim pride there as well. "Haven't felt the need to,” he admitted, tilting his head to the side to look his friend in the eye. "I think… I might not need to ever again. Sometimes I do think about it and almost miss it, but I don't need it anymore. I've learned that I can be strong. I finally understand what Remus meant when he said from now on it would be a choice. I don't have my excuses anymore, so cutting again would be like choosing to be that person I hated."

"I'm so glad." Harry smiled, pressing his face into Neville's shoulder. "It always hurt so much to know how much you didn't like yourself and kept selling yourself short. Though I am glad about the cutting part, too."

"Thanks, Harry."

"Wanna sleep here tonight?" he offered shyly.

"Sure." Neville shrugged and they sat up to face the right way and get under the covers.

"Goodnight, Nev."

"Night."

**xXxXxXx**

Silas sat up and went to the window. Neville was snoring softly in the bed, but he wouldn't wake. Silas had made sure of that with a subtle spell. Draco's bird flew in and landed on the back of his desk chair. It cocked its head and looked toward the bed. When he turned his head to face the green-eyed teen, it had a look of sly derision.

"Perverted bird,” Silas muttered and checked for any spells. Again, there were none. He took the letter and with a laughing hoot, the eagle-owl flew away. Silas shut the glass with a sneer. Though, he shouldn't be surprised. It was Draco's bird after all and had adopted his owner’s idiocy.

_Dearest Shadow,_

_On the run with an innocent ex-convict? My, you do have a dangerous streak. I can't imagine why you were so worried over that over-sized chicken, though. And I can't believe your damnable luck. Some god must love you to send a magic storm just to save your ass from dementors. I don't know how you survive, Shadow, I really don't. You should be dead at least two dozen times by now, I'm sure. Maybe there is truth to the whole nine lives thing; being in the feline House may just have its benefits after all._

_I have picked up on an interesting story that I thought you'd like to hear in exchange for your fabulous recounting of last year. It starts in the same place your godfather most probably has night-terrors about. Do you remember the story I told you about the second escapee? Well, my father sent subtle inquires among the human staff at the abysmal place and word finally returned. Barty Crouch Jr. was the last prisoner to die, and that was a while ago. Therefore, he is the only person who could have escaped via faking his own death._

_Now, Jr. has an interesting story. His father is a Light wizard of some power and esteem. He is in fact head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. When they were questioning Death Eaters after the first war, Jr. was revealed as a member. His father didn't believe it at first and Jr. denied it, but evidence kept pilling up until he had no choice but to face the fact his son was a willing Death Eater. Once his fate was determined and he was sentenced to Azkaban, Jr. boasted and swore his Master would have vengeance on them all._

_His father visited him at first; still trying to find out why his son had turned evil. The visits from his father slowly came to a stop and he finally gave up his son for lost. This was all years ago, you realize. It still isn't public knowledge that Jr. has escaped. And not even the very few who do know he has, have no idea who helped him or where he is now._

_Fascinating, isn't it? Maybe your godfather will know more since this all happened while he was still in Azkaban. He could have been next door neighbors with Jr. and heard all kinds of things. Maybe he was even able to escape by listening to their plan. If he does know anything, I'd be interested to learn more about this tale. I do hate loose ends. I'm sure you sympathize._

_Yours,_

_Serpentine_

Silas put down the letter with a heavy frown. So Jr. was a fanatic Death Eater and Bertha had somehow found out he had escaped. Voldemort heard he had a loyal follower free and decided to go to him? That didn't make sense, did it? Why wouldn't Voldemort call Jr. to him instead? Unless he wanted to come back to England anyway… Maybe for the second plot? The one involving Foreign Affairs. Jr. could help him with that plan, as well. That still left him to try and figure out whether the attack would come at the World Cup or during the tournament. Either way, Silas was sure the point would be their death.

Suddenly tired, he decided to go to sleep. He needed to think about his response to Draco, anyway. He'd run out of history to bribe him with. Now he'd have to think of something else to entertain the blonde and keep the inside information coming without revealing anything of importance.

**Chapter End**

**A/N:** Wow… this was an intense chapter to write. I'm still not sure I got it right or explained the whole **Core and Host thing** so that everyone would understand… I've been holding this secret about Harry's condition for a long time and was about to burst with it. Please feel free to ask questions so that if you need clarification I know where to begin. Also, feel free to tell me whether you hate or like this new development.


	27. Hello Padfoot, Goodbye Neville

**Hello Padfoot, Goodbye Neville**

Harry and Neville both woke abruptly when the bedroom door was flung open. Sirius came striding into the room bearing gifts. The brilliantly wrapped presents were piled in his arms and completely blocked his head from view. Both teenagers stared in awe, their mouths slowly dropping open.

"Happy Birthday, boys!" Sirius shouted gleefully and dumped the gifts onto the bed.

"But… but it's not until tomorrow…" Neville said uncertainly, his eyes fixed on the boxes. Some were as big as a foot in every direction, others were as small as jewelry boxes. The closest to him was in-between those sizes and wrapped with bright pink shiny paper and pale gold ribbon.

"You won't be here tomorrow." Sirius pointed out with a grin. "And we want to celebrate with you and we know Harry wants to spend his birthday with you, so… Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you, Sirius!" Harry laughed, eyes bright with happiness. It was hard not to smile when his godfather was filling the room with his enthusiasm and joy. "Are all these for us?"

"Yep!" Sirius hugged Harry tightly and then toppled over onto the bed with him, causing the teen to laugh harder.

Neville couldn't help laughing at their antics. A chuckle came from the doorway and he looked to see Remus. His smile got bigger and he moved to get up and greet the man who had come to mean so much to him, but Remus beat him to the punch by running over and tackling him back onto the bed. The two men shared a look and simultaneously began tickling the boys mercilessly. Eventually they let up and it took several minutes before the boys were breathing normally again.

"So… Which ones… are Nev's and… which are mine?"

Sirius mock glared. "Greedy bugger."

Harry blushed, but he knew his godfather was only joking so the threatening hurt easily passed. Remus punched his friend and ruffled Harry's messy hair reassuringly. The boy pouted at that and tried to smooth it over again. Ever since he had merged with Rose, he preferred his hair and clothes to be neat and tidy, as well as his room and notes.

"The gold bows are Harry's and the red are Neville’s," Sirius explained and pushed gifts in both of the teens' direction. "Open them!"

"Now?" Harry took the gift carefully, but he didn't move to open it. "I want Severus to watch."

"This isn't Christmas, Padfoot." Remus laughed. "They don't have to open their presents immediately upon awakening."

Sirius whined dramatically. "But that's no fun! Who cares about Snape? Open them now!"

"Sirius…" Harry scolded, though his mouth was still curled up in a smile.

"Alright. I'll behave." Sirius pouted and bounced off the bed. "Hurry up and get down stairs then. We'll open them at the breakfast table."

Sirius dashed from the room singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of his lungs. Remus shook his head with a bemused smile and gestured for the boys to hurry before following his friend. Harry and Neville shared a delighted glance and flew from the bed and into clothes. Each grabbed up half of the boxes, ignoring what color the ribbons were for the moment, and rushed downstairs.

They got to the dinning room and found Sirius standing on the table flinging streamers and balloons around the room from his wand like a crazy man. Remus was trying to convince him they had enough decorations, but Sirius was arguing back that they didn't have near enough. 

"How many times do you turn fourteen? Huh, Moony? Of course we don't have enough! I haven't even started on the confetti yet."

"Get off my table this instant, Black,” Severus ordered icily. The boys spun around and several boxes toppled to the floor. The Potions Master sneered at them, but he quickly returned his attention to the man standing on his dinning room table.

Sirius looked about to protest, but Remus gave a sharp tug and the man fell to the floor. Harry and Neville winced, but Remus only laughed. Sirius lifted his head, his blue eyes still sparkling with mirth, "Don't think I won't get you back for that, Moony."

"Place those… boxes in the corner." Severus indicated where he meant with a sharp flick of his fingers.

The boys hurried to obey and the dark-eyed man took his accustomed seat at the head of the table. The boys took theirs and Remus sat next to Neville while Sirius sat on the other side of Harry, the side furthest from Severus. Omi appeared and looked around the room tentatively. He was horrified at the mess, but he was pleased they were celebrating the boys' birthdays. When Severus didn't immediately reprimand him for allowing Sirius to vandalize the room, he relaxed and served breakfast.

"Are the plates humming the 'Happy Birthday' tune?" Severus glowered darkly at his elf.

“Yes, Master. Sir Sirius wished me to use them. Should I exchange them for your usual china?" Omi twisted his hands with wide, anxious eyes.

"Where's your birthday spirit, Snape?" Sirius demanded. "They aren't even that loud. Leave them be! Have you even wished them a Happy Birthday?"

"I will do so when it is appropriate,” Severus sneered. "I don't care about the others, but I would like silent dinnerware."

"Yes, Master." Omi bowed and snapped his fingers, replacing the plate and the food on it.

Severus nodded and began eating, ignoring everyone else completely. Sirius made faces at him and Remus kicked him under the table. Neville ducked his head to hide his smile, but Harry pleaded with his eyes and shook his head. Sirius sighed and gave in, eating his breakfast without another word or further mocking of Snape.

"So what would you two like to do today?" Remus asked with a loving smile.

Sirius grinned mischievously at them. "We can't have a real party or go anywhere fun, but that doesn't mean we can't have a good time."

"How?" Harry asked curiously.

"You and Neville could challenge Sirius up in the game room; see if you can't whip this old man into shape,” Remus suggested slyly.

"Hey! I'm not old!" Sirius protested, throwing a breakfast biscuit at his laughing friend.

"That sounds like fun." Harry smiled. He wanted to ask if Severus would join, but he knew that would only make his teacher feel uncomfortable. As it was, he could sense Severus' emotions were tense and sharp even through the Occluding shields Harry could feel were up. "Think we can beat him, Nev?"

"I don't know." Neville smiled playfully. "But probably."

"You'll be eating those words!" Sirius declared competitively. "There hasn't been a game invented that I couldn't master!"

"Except one that requires you to use your brain. Like, for example, chess,” Severus drawled. Before Sirius could snap a retort, he stood and stalked from the room.

Sirius glared. "Grumpy, cold-hearted bastard."

"Don't." Harry slapped him lightly on the arm. "Come on. Let's go play!"

They ended up spending three hours in the game room. No one could beat Harry at Snitch Hording, but Remus came close. Sirius beat Remus at the Blaster game, but Remus was champion of the dodging game. When they all sat down to try the four man chess, Neville came out the winner. Harry couldn't remember ever laughing so much or being so carefree. Neville was equally buzzing from the fun. He'd never felt so welcomed or included into a family before. When Remus wrapped him in a hug after he won the chess game, it had been the best feeling in the world.

"We forgot your presents!" Sirius gasped in horror and raced from the room.

The others followed laughing and tripping over each other. Sirius came barreling out of the dinning room with a horrified look on his face. Everyone came to a halt and asked what was wrong.

"They're gone!" he bellowed and pointed into the room. "The presents aren't there anymore!"

"What?" Neville and Remus gasped.

“Omi," Harry called calmly, shaking his head at his three friends. The little elf arrived obediently at his side. "Do you know where the gifts are? The ones for Neville and me?"

"They are stacked on the table in the sitting room by the parlor, sir." Omi smiled. "Are you opening your gifts now, sirs?"

"We are." Harry smiled. "Can you have Severus come down to the sitting room, please?"

"Of course, sir." Omi nodded vigorously and disappeared with a pop.

"Awww, Harry…" Sirius whined.

"Severus is my mentor, Siri. And I love him,” Harry said gently. "I want him to be a part of this."

Sirius' face took a serious cast and Harry felt the man's worry and unhappiness. He didn't like Harry depending on Severus. The two men couldn't stand each other and both wanted Harry for themselves. The teen sighed and bit his lip, hands clasped in front of him. Remus knew that to mean Harry was upset and shoved Sirius with a glare. He couldn't understand how two grown men could be so stupid. Harry lifted his head hopefully when he felt Remus' exasperation and Sirius' dark emotions collapse with resignation.

"I'll beat you there,” Sirius called cheerfully with a lightning change in mood and ran past them to the sitting room.

A few minutes later, Harry and Neville were sitting on the couch with the presents at their feet. Omi, Remus, and Sirius were standing before them and encouraging the boys to begin. Severus stood off to the side by the fireplace. He watched silently. Harry offered him a sweet smile before lifting his first gift.

"You shouldn't have gotten me anything,” Neville said with a pensive frown.

Harry slapped his arm. "Stop it. You're our friend. We're a family now."

"Harry's right,” Remus said and gestured for them to unwrap their gifts. "Besides, it's our choice, and if you refuse to accept, then that would only hurt our feelings."

"You wouldn't want to do that, now do you?" Sirius grinned.

"Of course not." Neville flushed. "Harry, you go first."

The raven-haired teen stuck his tongue out and gently unwrapped the pink present. Inside was a cherry wood box. He lifted the lid and piano music filled the air. He looked up happily. "Thank you!"

"We know you play by ear, so we thought this would be a great way for you to learn the classics." Remus smiled. "Look on the bottom."

Harry did so and found a list of seventeen song titles.

"Just say the title you wish to hear and it will play,” Sirius explained.

"This is wonderful! Thank you, Sirius, Remus!" He jumped up to hug them. They laughed and shoved him back into his seat.

"Your turn, Nev!" Harry grinned.

Neville got art supplies, new shoes, and a very expensive violet rose. Harry got the music box and two new shirts. They both got kites and muggle bicycles for when they wanted to go to town. Harry was excited about learning to ride, but Neville was a bit apprehensive. Severus was silent throughout the process until Harry's last present was opened: three tickets to see the Quidditch World Cup.

"No." All eyes turned to the dark-eyed professor. "He can't go. It's too dangerous."

"There will be thousands of witches and wizards there!" Sirius argued angrily. "We can easily go without being noticed. We could always wear a glamour or take Polyjuice. There's no reason not to go!"

"There are hundreds of reasons why he can't go!" Severus snarled back. "But the three most important ones are the Order, Death Eaters, and Aurors."

"Sirius." Remus frowned. "I thought we discussed this."

"No, Remus!" Sirius pulled away. "I won't back down this time! Harry’s only fourteen! He deserves to go and do the things kids want to do! He's missing out on everything and I won't let him miss out on this! He loves Quidditch! He's a natural Seeker! You see how his face lights up when he plays that game upstairs!"

"Still… There will be other years." Remus shook his head. "We can't risk it."

"Please don't fight." Harry pleaded tearfully. "I love the gift, Siri. Really I do. Quidditch is really fun, but I still haven't perfected shielding and I don't know how I'll be able to handle such a large crowd."

"No, Harry." Sirius knelt in front of him, causing the discarded wrapping paper to crinkle noisily. "You've never been to a game. Trust me. You don't want to miss this. It only happens every few years and who knows when it will be held in England again. I got three tickets. You can have two adults with you. I promise you'll be safe and by then you'll have your shields down pat. Snape won't let you go to school without them perfect."

Harry looked over at Severus questioningly. Annoyance and anger still simmered, but there was also a type of longing. He wanted Harry to be able to go as well.

"I doubt this excursion will be possible,” he finally spoke. "But if Black can convince me that you will be safe, then I will allow it. Keep in mind that will be very difficult to do."

Sirius opened his mouth to retort, but Remus silenced him with a hand on his shoulder. "Later, Siri. Today is for celebrating."

“Alright," Sirius agreed reluctantly.

"Why don't you open your present from me?" Neville offered, wanting to break the tension in the air.

Harry smiled eagerly. "Okay."

"Omi!" Neville called and blushed a bit. "It's from both of us."

"Happy Birthdays, both of you young sirs!" Omi cried and handed Harry heavy box. He was quivering with excitement.

"Thank you, Omi." Harry smiled at the elf and tore away the paper gently. It was a leather bound photo album. He opened it and gasped in delight. It was full of pictures from last summer and this summer. There was him and Severus. Neville and Remus. Sirius. He set it aside and grabbed the elf in a tearful hug. "The pictures are beautiful. You did an excellent job, Omi!" He stood and embraced Neville next. "Thank you, Nev! It is wonderful. I really, really love it!"

"I'm glad." Neville smiled as he held Harry. "Happy birthday."

"Happy birthday, brother." Harry answered with a grin and Neville blushed again. "Omi, can you please get Neville's present? This is also from the both of us."

Omi nodded, still crying with joy, and disappeared with a pop. He came back seconds later with a thick envelop. Neville looked at Harry curiously before carefully opening it and pulling out the letter inside. The note must have been short because he only looked at it for a second before pulling out two passes. They were for the Herbologist Center. It was where the world's biggest vegetative research facility was located. It had extensive gardens and botany experiment/research labs. Neville had always wanted to go on the extensive tour the institute provided, but it was far away and the waiting list was forever long.

"How?" he asked dumbly, staring at the paper in his hands.

Harry grinned. "Let's just say Omi and I know some people."

"Harry… I…"

"Gabe and Sy helped, too. I asked them what I should get you and Gabriel said 'He likes plants, so get him one.' And then Silas said 'There's a facility that specializes in Herbology.' Then I asked Omi about it and he got in contact with the right people. I just completed the deal."

"It's wonderful. Thank you, Silas, Gabriel. Thanks, Omi, Harry!" He grabbed the smaller teen and then grabbed the elf. All three were laughing.

"The passes are for next week. The tour lasts three days and I already talked to your Grandmother, Neville. She will be happy to take you."

"Thank you, Remus!" Neville ran to the man to give him an ecstatic hug.

When everyone calmed, Sirius clapped his hands with a wide grin. "Who wants to try out those bikes?"

"I do!" Harry cheered and pulled Neville to his feet. "Come on, Nev! It can't be that hard if Dudley can do it!"

Learning how to ride a bike was more difficult than Harry had foreseen, but he was right to think it would be fun. It took a good two hours before Neville and he could ride without falling over. Remus was patient and helped them as much as he could, but Sirius was too busy laughing at them to be much help. Eventually they got it right and both boys were glad to have learned. The bruises and scrapes were definitely worth it!

By that time, everyone was hungry so they asked Omi to bring some food so they could have a picnic. Harry knew better than to ask for Severus to join them. He wasn't worried about it, though. He knew Severus cared about him and didn't need the man to prove it. After they ate, the boys surprisingly found themselves in a position to get Sirius back for laughing at them earlier.

The ex-convict was hopeless with kites and kept getting tangled up in the string. Harry and Neville easily got theirs into the air and they swooped and dived obediently. Remus fell to the ground laughing when Sirius got so frustrated that he turned into a dog and started snapping and biting at the string wrapped around him.

Dinner was served in the sitting room and everyone had taken showers and dressed in nice clothes. Severus wore his usual white-button down shirt and black slacks, but his hair was damp from his own shower. Harry smiled at him and Severus gave a slight nod in return. Conversation was mostly geared around teasing each other playfully. When desert came, Omi brought out a huge cake with fourteen candles on it. Harry and Neville stood together and blew them all out while the Sirius and Remus cheered and the elf took photos.

"What did you wish for?" Sirius demanded as Omi served them pieces.

Neville laughed. "Can't tell! That would keep it from coming true."

"Awww, come on!" Sirius begged.

With loud conversation and laughter, an hour passed. When they finally finished their cake, Severus left the room. Harry and Neville were both sleepy from all the activity that day, so the adults decided to put them to bed. Remus went with Neville to tuck him in and Sirius went up with Harry.

"I had a great day, Siri,” Harry said as his godfather pulled the blankets up around him.

"I'm glad, pup." Sirius smiled and kissed his head. "Happy birthday, Harry."

"Thank you." Harry smiled and lifted his head to kiss the man's cheek. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Now get some sleep."

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke at midnight to a buzzing alarm he had cast when Sirius had left the room. He smiled and climbed out of bed, pulling his clothes on quickly. He walked as silently as he could and peeked into the dark hall. It was empty and he couldn't hear anyone else up. Smiling, he tip-toed downstairs and toward the parlor.

The door was open and the faint light of a few candles and the fireplace could be seen. He went in and shut the door softly behind him. Severus stood by the fireplace and turned when he heard the door shut. He offered a brief smile and gestured to the couch. Harry hugged him before he sat and the man pat him on the back uncomfortably.

"You had a good day?" Severus asked once Harry was settled.

"Yes." The teen smiled, his eyes bright behind his glasses. "I'm glad you were here. I was worried you might forget."

"Of course not,” Severus scolded and gestured to the table to the right. There were a few packages there. "Happy birthday, Harry."

Harry approached the table and found they were from Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, and Omi. Ron and Hagrid both sent him cakes, but Hermione sent him a card and a long letter. In it, she apologized for not respecting his wishes and acknowledged that it was his life and it was his decision and she had no right to interfere in that. She concluded by hoping he would forgive her and still be her friend. He smiled fondly at the letter and set it aside.

Omi's present contained a scarf that matched the winter cloak and gloves Severus got him last year. Omi came when he called and tearfully accepted Harry's hug. "You didn't have to get me anything else. The photo album was great."

"This is very little, sirs. I wanted to do more!" Omi exclaimed and wiped at his tears. "I'm sad sir Neville is going. I am very happy, sir, when you and your friend is here. So is Master."

"Well, I plan to come back often,” Harry promised. He looked beyond the elf to Severus.

Omi grinned at the two before disappearing to give them privacy. Severus shook his head at that but cleared his throat and removed a small silver-wrapped box from his pocket.

"Thank you." Harry took the box, but he didn't move to open it. He just sat there and enjoyed the silence and warmth of the room. Severus didn't rush him. "Do you think Nev will be okay to go home? He was just starting to feel better about himself."

“It's hard to lose sight of one's self once you truly take a good look." Severs reassured him. His voice was low and smooth and Harry felt peaceful and content as he listened to it. "He will be fine and, should he fall into old habits, I'm sure you and the Wolf will take pains to remind him of what he learned this summer."

"I don't want it to end,” Harry admitted. "I wish I could stay here with you and Nev and not have to go back to Hogwarts."

"This house will always be here and open to you, Harry." Severus met the teen's eyes and held them. "Things will be difficult later, but you aren't losing anything. You can always come back."

Harry bowed his head and looked at the present. Slowly and carefully, he unwrapped it. It was a small, dark wood box. Harry lifted the lid and saw a silver bracelet. It looked just like the one Severus had made for him last summer and a matching thin silver band. He lifted the ring and looked at it. It was simple and beautiful. He tried it on his ring finger, but it was too big. He moved it to his middle finger of his right hand and it fit perfectly.

"It's beautiful, Severus,” he said softly and looked up into his teacher's face.

The man didn't say anything at first. Instead, he reached into the box and took out the bracelet. He took Harry's left hand and gently clasped it around that wrist. As soon as it was on, the clasp disappeared and the bracelet became seamless. "The bracelet will summon me should you break it." He stepped back and gestured at the ring on Harry's other hand. "That is a specialized portkey. Putting a drop of blood on it will activate it. Say 'take me home' and it will bring you to its mate."

Severus reached into his pocket and handed him a small picture frame. An identical silver ring to the one he now wore was mounted in the middle of a black background. Glass and a dark wood frame encased it. Harry knew just where to hang it: on his bedroom wall. He stood and tearfully wrapped his arms around his teacher's waist.

"Thank you so much, Severus. This… this means so much to me."

Severus cleared his throat awkwardly. "Would you like me to spell it so that it can't come off?"

"Yes, please." Harry offered his hand. Severus took it and lifted his wand. A short incantation later, Harry had his hand back. He didn't bother checking to see if he could take the ring off. He knew Severus had done the spell right. "Thank you."

"Stop saying that,” Severus said irritably and made a waving away gesture with his hand. "It is nothing."

Harry grinned and returned to the couch, curling up there. "Did you have a good summer? I bet you don't feel like you've had a vacation at all. You spent all your time teaching us and now you're going right back to teach some more."

"Trust me. Teaching you and Longbottom is not like teaching a class full of your imbecilic peers. This was much easier."

Harry chuckled sleepily. "Do you like teaching or do you wish you could spend all your time working on potions?"

"It depends, really,” Severus answered, settling into his own chair and looking into the fireplace. "When I have a promising student, teaching is a pleasure. I also enjoyed teaching you and Neville dueling and self-defense immensely. Potions is such a difficult and precise art that it is rare to find a student willing to truly invest something of themselves into the study. That is why I have been requesting a transfer to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Of course, should I actually receive that position, it will make my job as a spy that much more difficult, so Albus has not allowed me to switch."

He glanced over and noticed Harry was fast asleep, his mouth curled up in a small smile of contentment. Severus' eyes softened and he went over to the teen. He gently brushed the boy's bangs from his face and rested his hand in his hair. He had come to respect this child and care for him. That was a double-edged sword, of course. He was opening himself to being vulnerable, but he really couldn't bring himself to worry too much about that.

He smoothly bent and lifted the teen into his arms. Harry had put on some weight, but not much so it wasn't difficult to carry him up to his room. Harry never woke, but he did burrow against Severus' warm chest and sigh happily. The day had been one of perfect happiness and his dreams were calm and healing.

**xXxXxXx**

Seven o'clock the next morning, everyone stood at the front door. Remus would Apparate with Neville to a place in London and floo from there to the Longbottom residence. Harry embraced his friend after Sirius hugged him and Severus shook his hand once. Neville hugged Harry back fiercely.

"Did you get all your gifts and new clothes?" Harry asked as they stepped apart.

Neville bit his lip. "I think so."

"I'll bring anything you may have forgotten with me to Hogwarts,” Harry promised. "Happy birthday and I love you. Don't forget how strong you are."

"I won’t," Neville swore and had to wipe away a few tears. "I'll miss you, Har."

Harry grinned and hugged him again. "Miss you, too, but I'll see you again soon, big brother."

"Do remember to practice,” Severus drawled.

"I will, sir. And thank you for letting me stay and for teaching me so much."

Severus waved that away and both boys chuckled at that. The dark-eyed man sneered back at them.

"We need to go,” Remus said gently and Neville nodded.

Harry waved goodbye. "I'll write you."

“Me, too." Neville waved back and stepped outside with Remus.

Sirius sighed sadly. "He's a good kid. I'm gonna miss him."

Harry laughed, but he was wiping away tears as well. "We'll see him soon."

"This doesn't mean you get to slack off in your studies,” Severus told the teen sternly. "We will stick to the same schedule."

Sirius glared. "Lighten up, Snape."

"No. It's alright,” Harry intervened. "I don't want a break anyway. I like having things to do and I have lots to learn still before school starts. Nev and I want to be able to start brewing the Animagus Potion once we get back to Hogwarts. But we can play during my free hours. Those are…" Harry tapped his lower lip with his finger as he thought about it. "Twelve to one in the afternoon and then after dinner, which usually ends around five forty-five or so, until nine o'clock when I have more therapy. After that, I usually go to bed."

Sirius frowned doubtfully. "What am I going to do in the mean time?"

"You could use some studying yourself,” Severus drawled. "There is a dueling room and a library at your disposal. I recommend you making use of them. If you destroy any of my books, Black, you will be sorry. Come, Harry."

Sirius glowered at them as they left, but that fell away quickly. As much as he hated to admit it, Snape was right. He spent twelve years in Azkaban and had a lot to catch up on. He groaned. He hated studying. With a tremendous sigh, he made his way to the library. He figured he'd get a few hours of reading in before Remus got back. His friend said they needed to talk and Sirius could tell it was about something important. He hoped it was about Harry because he knew they were keeping something from him.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus wasn't excited about what was coming. Now that Sirius was stable he had every right as Harry's godfather to be told about the teen's mental condition. He hadn't asked Severus for permission, but that morning he had pulled Harry aside and asked him if it would be okay to explain things to Sirius. Harry had hesitated a moment, but he had agreed. Now the hard part was thinking of what to say and to make sure Severus didn't kill him later for being presumptuous.

"Omi?" he called as he stepped into the house. The little elf appeared immediately. He smiled. "Do you know where Sirius is?"

"In the library, sir." Omi bowed and disappeared.

"The library, huh?" Remus murmured. He was surprised. Usually he had to force his friend, kicking and screaming, to study. Maybe this was a sign that Sirius was maturing and would handle the news well.

**xXxXxXx**

"WHAT?" Sirius bellowed. He leapt to his feet, sending his chair flying backward. They were at a table in the library and Remus had basically just told him his godson had been severely abused and, because of that, was insane.

"Sirius, please,” Remus half begged and half scolded. "Keep your voice down and let me explain."

"What's left to explain, Remus?" he growled darkly.

"Do you want to understand what your godson is going through or not?" Remus snapped angrily. "This isn't easy on any of us and its worst on Harry."

Sirius deflated and ran his hand through his stringy black hair. His blue eyes dulled with a haunted look. Remus stood and picked up the chair and helped him sit in it. Sirius took several deep breaths and nodded once, sharply, for the werewolf to continue. So Remus did. He told Sirius about Dissociative Identity Disorder and about Harry's three alters. He never mentioned Demon because not even he knew about the deepest alter. When he finished, they both sat silently, filled with remorse and guilt as they thought about Harry and how they had let him down by not being there for him when he needed help the most.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry entered the library nervously. The deep guilt and sadness that radiated from the room was so strong he wouldn't have been able to enter if he hadn't put up his Occlumency shields. He found Sirius and Remus sitting at the table, both staring at nothing and looking like broken dolls.

"Siri? Remy?" he asked weakly, clutching the edge of the bookcase and hiding half of his body.

"Harry…" Remus looked up and tried to smile.

"Are you alright?" he asked, not moving from his fearful position.

"Of course we are, pup." Sirius shook himself and did a much better job at smiling than his friend had. "Is this your free time?"

"No. I do my homework now. I'm studying the Animagus potion,” Harry answered and came closer; his hands were clasped in front of him though and he wouldn't meet his godfather's eyes. "Did… did Remus tell you?"

"Yes." Sirius stood and grabbed Harry into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I hope you can forgive me someday."

"Forgive you?" Harry gasped, shocked. "What for?"

"I wasn't there for you. I should have been. I should have protected you,” Sirius said roughly and began to cry.

"No. Sirius, it isn't your fault. You didn't know. Besides, you were in a horrible place yourself. There's nothing to forgive, I swear,” Harry assured him as he held the sobbing man. Thankfully, Remus came up and helped him. They got Sirius to his chair and hovered over him.

"Siri, I… I need forgiveness, too." Remus knelt and grabbed Sirius' forearm tightly. "I… I didn't believe in you and I didn't… I didn't do anything to help get you out of that… _hellhole_!"

Sirius shook his head. "We make a fine team, don't we? Alright. I get it. We can't do anything about the past, but we can swear now. Swear that we will be there to look after each other from now on."

Remus nodded. "I swear."

"I swear, too." Harry smiled.

"I swear,” Sirius said solemnly and then he grabbed the other two into another hug. "We'll never let anything like that happen ever again."

Remus was first to pull away and he wiped gently at Harry's cheeks. "How 'bout we help you with that potion? Sirius has made it before."

"Alright!" Harry smiled brightly and went to get his notes and books.

**xXxXxXx**

After lunch, Harry had a free hour away from work and he and Sirius decided to go outside for a walk. Remus said he had something to do and let them go alone. Silas had been annoyed when Harry gave permission for Sirius to be told. The more people who knew, the more likely the information would come into the hands of enemies. The up-side was now he could come Out and question the ex-convict. And it was going to be fun watching Severus' reaction to the Wolf telling Sirius.

"Looks like rain,” Sirius observed as they walked toward the woods.

"It does. Yes,” Silas answered with a cool smile.

Sirius turned, confused. Silas could practically see the thoughts trickling through the man's brain as he realized who he was now with. He chuckled darkly when the man froze with an open mouth.

"I just thought I'd come and introduce myself,” he purred. "I'm Silas and a Slytherin…. What? Cat got your tongue?"

"Cat? What?" Sirius blinked stupidly.

"It's a muggle phrase,” Silas explained with a graceful shrug. He put his hands in his pockets and stepped past the mutt and continued on toward the forest with a fluid stride. "It means you were struck mute by some strong emotion."

"Oh." Sirius closed his mouth and jogged after his godson. "Yeah… I guess the cat did take my tongue then."

Silas sneered but was careful not to let the other man see. Really. How idiotic could you be? He cleared his expression and looked over at the older man. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"

"Sure. Go ahead,” Sirius answered quickly. His eyes hadn't once left Harry's form; he was fascinated. The change was so complete. It really was as if this was a whole other person. Like Harry's twin or something. Amazing!

"Back in the Shack you said you heard things in Azkaban… Death Eaters talking in their sleep about Pettigrew." He glanced over to see how his godfather was fairing so far and saw the man still shocked enough over his change that he hadn't become upset. "Did they ever talk about other things?"

"Like what?" Sirius frowned. "And why do you want to know?"

"Their old Master is after my life. I find myself concerned about the subject,” Silas drawled, his eyes half shut to hide the condescension there.

"Well… Dementors… They feed… they feed off your despair so they destroy all… all your good memories so that you have nothing left… but the bad ones they can feed from…" Sirius swallowed and looked away. "You can't stay sane like that for long… Trapped in their worst memories, you can bet the Death Eaters shouted a lot of things about You-Know-Who."

"Like what?" Silas asked casually.

"Things like being tortured,” Sirius bit out angrily. "Nothing that would help you."

He ignored his godfather's ire. The defensive anger passed quickly anyway. "Has anyone else ever managed to escape besides you?" 

Sirius shook his head. 

"Why did you escape when you did? If it was possible for you, why didn't you do it sooner?"

Sirius sighed and ran shaking hands through his hair. "I can't… Can't explain what happens when you go to that prison. It's hard to think and you can't tell if you're sleeping or awake… Either way you were in hell… I remained as sane as I did because I took refuge in my Animagus form. Dogs can't exactly plot complicated escape plans… I needed something to anchor me… To keep my thoughts going in a straight line long enough to come up with a way to get free… That didn't happen until I saw Peter's picture."

"So revenge was sufficient motivation for you to break free, but thinking about your orphaned godson wasn't?" Silas sneered and let Sirius see all his disgust freely this time.

"Harry…" Sirius went pale and reached out pleadingly.

“Silas," the teen corrected, his green eyes filled with contempt. "It isn't that hard to remember."

Sirius flinched and turned away. He wrapped his arms around himself and hunched there. Silas watched him for a minute and realized he would gain nothing from making their godfather aware of his anger at being left at the Dursleys. He also realized he was going to have to be direct if he was going to find anything out; Sirius didn't do subtle.

"Were you anywhere near Crouch Jr.'s cell?"

"Why?" Sirius asked hoarsely. "What does that matter?"

"It matters to me,” Silas explained slowly, as if to a very small child.

"No. But his father had to pass by my cell to get to his." Sirius was shivering now. His blue eyes staring into the past, his mind trapped there once again. "I use… used to be able to keep track of the days by his visits… But then… he stopped coming regularly… and I lost… lost all concept of time…"

"Did his father visit the day he died?"

"The… Aurors don't… don't come in to the prison… They can't stand the dementors either… Only the dementors and visitors walk the prison's halls… The Aurors only… they only guard the outside gate… So… So I don't know how they know… when to call in family when you're going to… to die… from being overexposed to the dementors but they do… They some how know and they call in your last visitors…. Usually… usually no one comes…. If you're in Azkaban… You're forsaken… But… but Crouch… He was a lucky one… I was so envious of him because both… both of his parents came to see him… before he died… His mother… She looked so ill… I think it was more than just the dementors getting to her and still… still she came and faced that horrible place… just to say goodbye."

Silas knew he'd get no more information. He had pushed Sirius as far as the man could stand to go. So he shook his head and offered a slight mercy; his silence. He couldn't have Sirius returning to the house all distraught, could he? No, that would make Severus suspicious and he couldn't have that.

"I shouldn't have asked,” he said evenly. "Try not to think about it anymore."

Sirius focused on his godson and slowly his shaking became less. "Do you hate me, Silas? For not coming for you sooner?"

"I don't hate you,” Silas answered, his face a calm mask. "Neither do I like you. You are of no matter to me."

Sirius ducked his head to hide his face.

"Why don't we finish this walk in silence? That seems like the best option, all around."

Sirius didn't argue. He knew Silas had a right to feel as he did. It was the truth after all that he hadn't come and saved him when he should have. He had only freed himself for revenge. It was the same as all those years ago. He had Harry, an orphaned and injured baby, to take care of, but instead he had run off after Pettigrew. He did it so that James and Lily would be avenged, but had they been alive, they would have hated him for choosing revenge over their son. Sirius hated himself for that decision. Silas had every right to be bitter and hate him, too.

**xXxXxXx**

Later that night, the deep depression Sirius had fallen into after his conversation with Silas lifted as he listened to his godson play the piano. Harry had asked him if he wanted to sit with him as he played and he had easily agreed. He could hardly believe this sweet, loving boy was hiding an alter so dark and cold. He shook his head and forced his thoughts away from Silas. For right now, he'd just enjoy the music.

Harry knew there was something bothering his godfather and suspected it had something to do with Silas. He was aware he’d had a black-out just as they were going on their walk and couldn't imagine Gabriel saying or doing anything that would get Sirius so down. He sighed as his fingers danced on the keys before him. At least Sirius was starting to feel better now. He'd just have to remember to ask his alter before he went to bed what had happened, but first he'd have to get through dinner and Boy's therapy. He knew Sirius and Remus would want to be there for it and he hoped his godfather could handle it.

**Chapter end**


	28. The End of Summer

**The End of Summer**

"Are you ready, Harry?" Severus asked as he stood from the table. They had all just finished dinner and it was time for the session with Boy. Harry smiled with a nod and stood.

"May we come as well, Severus?" Remus asked carefully. He had already told Severus that Sirius had been made aware of the situation and the man had taken it pretty well. All he had done was order Remus icily out of the room and refused to speak to any of them during dinner.

“No," Severus answered and turned.

"I want to help. Please,” Sirius asked humbly.

"It's alright with me,” Harry offered tentatively.

Severus glared at the other two men. "Fine. But you will do as I say, no questions asked."

They both agreed readily and Severus sneered and stormed from the room. Harry flashed the others a sheepish grin before jogging after his mentor. Sirius shared a worried glance with Remus before they followed as well. In the end, Remus settled at the chess set with Severus and Sirius sat in the corner with a book. Harry settled on the settee and closed his eyes. Seconds later, Boy came Out, screaming and crying and begging not to be hurt as he flung himself to the floor and then under the settee.

Sirius and Remus sat rigidly, but Severus' warning glare kept them silent and still. Boy's cries tapered off, but none of the men could forget that he was there, huddled and terrified. About forty-five minutes passed before Boy made a move. Again he placed his hand into the open and when nothing happened continued to ease out from under the settee. He rocked for a while, his breathing rough and frightened. Then he shuffled forward and grabbed the plate of cookies before scuttling back into his hiding place. An hour later, he repeated this process and retrieved the juice.

"I'm going to bring him back,” Severus informed them. At the sound of his voice, Boy began to cry.

"Can I try something?" Sirius asked neutrally. He didn't want to upset Boy anymore than he was already. Severus lifted an eyebrow and Sirius took that as permission to continue. "He responded positively to me in my dog form. I wanted to see if that might help."

Severus thought about it for a moment before giving a tense nod. Sirius took a deep breath and set the book aside. He slipped onto the floor and transformed. Severus and Remus pretended to continue their game and kept their faces turned in the other direction. Padfoot stayed away until Boy calmed down and then crept forward on his belly.

Boy saw him coming and his wide eyes snapped to the two men, but they were not paying attention. He looked back at the dog. It was closer now and it was whining softly. He looked to the men, certain they were going to get up and start yelling, but they didn't. He looked back to the dog and it was close enough to lick his hand. He tensed, but it didn't hurt so he didn't move.

The dog nudged him and he pushed back. This was his hiding place. The dog licked his face and he rubbed it clean on the carpet, wishing the dog would move so he could see the men clearly. He had to act quickly if they made a move to hurt him or demanded something from him. He pushed at the dog again. It obediently shifted over, but it didn't back away. Boy relaxed once he could see the men and ignored the dog after that.

At least he ignored the dog until it got up and walked out of sight. When it returned, it had an apple in its mouth. It was red and large and juicy. Boy was always hungry. Not as much now as he usually was, but… still… He looked over at the men. They were still where they had been. Nothing had changed. He looked back to the dog and reached a trembling hand toward the fruit. The dog took a step closer, but he still couldn't reach.

He glanced back to the men. He was shaking now. He knew he was going to get in trouble, but… but he wanted that apple. Maybe… Maybe the men wouldn't notice. They weren't making the dog attack him and they weren't yelling. They were obviously busy… But if they were busy then he _really_ shouldn't disturb them, right? That would make them really, _really_ angry.

He began to cry and the dog whined at him, lying on his belly submissively. Boy hugged his knees and stared at the apple hungrily. The tears stopped and he looked at the men. They still weren't looking or paying attention. He bit his lip hard and crawled forward. He froze and waited for the punishment to start. Shaking, he knelt there for several long minutes before he lifted his head and saw the dog almost within reach with that apple.

He moved forward and the dog crawled as well. They met in the middle and Boy took the apple carefully. The dog let him have it and licked his face twice. He huddled there, crouched, crying softly over the apple. He looked and the men still hadn't moved or noticed. Boy placed the dog between him and the men and carefully began to eat the apple, trying hard not to make much noise.

When half of it was gone, he gave the rest to the dog. He didn't want it to get mad at him for not sharing. He had to be a good boy or he'd be punished and that hurt and he didn't want to be hurt. The dog ate it and licked him some more. Boy let him and then the dog got up and trotted over to the men.

Boy's eyes went wide in horror and he let out a high pitched whine of terror as he slammed himself backward, away from the men and the dog. His back hit the wall and his hands scratched at it as he began to beg for mercy. He watched with wide, terrified eyes as the lighter-haired man reached down and pet the dog's head gently and slowly. The dog yipped softly and wagged its tail; its tongue lolling from the side of its mouth.

Boy stared and slowly grew quiet again, his chest still heaving. None of the men looked upset that the dog was bothering them. He wrapped his arms around himself and shivered as he curled up against the wall. The dog turned to look at him and he tensed but didn't start crying again. The dog came over and lay beside him, licking his face again.

He found that the dog was really warm and he liked that so he cuddled up more closely. The dog made that happy yippy sound again. Boy figured that was okay. He looked and the men were still not noticing him. With a sigh of contentment and a full belly, he closed his eyes and fell asleep warm for the first time he could ever remember.

**xXxXxXx**

"How did it go?" Harry asked as Sirius helped him stand.

"Very well,” Severus answered. "You made a lot of progress. It seems Boy reacts very favorably with Padfoot. If we can build on that, there is hope that Boy will be able to be rehabilitated."

"That's great! Thank you, Siri!" Harry hugged him.

Sirius laughed and ruffled his hair. "No problem, kiddo. I didn't really do anything."

"Sure you did!" Harry argued and smiled up at Remus. He still remembered the dark depression Sirius had sunk to that afternoon and wanted to make sure Sirius was better from that by letting his godfather know that he was needed and helped him. "Didn't he, Remy?"

"Yes. Yes, he did." Remus laughed, giving Harry what he wanted and reassured his best friend. "That was the best I've ever seen Boy behave and it's all thanks to Severus and Padfoot."

Severus sneered. Harry ignored that and went up and hugged him quickly. He knew his mentor didn't feel comfortable with such gestures, but he just couldn't help it. He smiled up into those disconcerted black eyes. "Thank you."

"Enough." He gently pushed Harry away and left the room.

Harry laughed and turned to the others. "I'm going to go write Neville. Will you come up and let me know when you're going to bed? I want to say goodnight."

Sirius smiled and ruffled his hair again. "Sure."

Harry frowned at him and soothed it back into place. He left the room to his godfather and Remus laughing at him. He ran up to his room and took out his parchment. He settled at his desk with it and lifted his quill. 

_Hey, Nev! You there?_

_Yep,_ came Neville’s reply after a short minute. _How was your birthday?_

_It was pretty good. It's weird not having you here. I think Remus misses you already. How was your trip home and what did you do for your birthday?_

_I miss Remus, too. Gran is good. She said she was glad I'm getting good instruction and that I looked healthy and she approves of whatever Remus is doing with me. I got a beautiful plant called Mimbulus mimbletonia. It looks like a small grey cactus except that it is covered in what looks like boils rather than spines from Great Uncle Algie for my birthday. The violet rose is in a pot next to it on my windowsill._

_That's cool! I can't wait to see it! I got cakes from Ron and Hagrid, and Hermione sent me a card and a letter. She says she's really sorry for what she did. She talked to her parents about it and they made her see it from our point of view. She never meant to betray me and she realizes that she was taking things on herself to do that wasn't her right. She is my friend and not my mother._

_Sounds like she's finally coming around,_ Neville wrote. _Maybe she'll be different this year._

They talked for almost half an hour before they both got tired and said goodnight. Harry yawned and hid his parchment away again. He took out his journal and crawled up into bed. He opened it to the next clean page and wrote about his day. Remus and Sirius came in ten minutes later. They kissed him on the head and tucked him in. Harry wished them goodnight and finished his entry when they left. When he was done, he asked his alters what happened when he blacked-out.

_I questioned him about Azkaban. I was curious to learn if it were possible for the Death Eaters that are imprisoned there to escape as he did,_ Silas explained innocently.

_Oh._ Harry smiled. _I was worried you two got into a fight and that you might be as upset as he is. I'm glad you're alright._

_Of course he is._ Gabriel laughed. _He'd never let a Gryffindor get him down._ _That would be too humiliating._

Silas smirked. _Exactly._

Harry shook his head with a fond smile at his alters' antics. _Goodnight, you two. Sweet dreams._

_Goodnight, Harry,_ Silas wrote.

_Sleep well,_ Gabriel added.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas was up as soon as Harry was deeply asleep. He had missed Draco's bird the night before, but that was okay since he hadn't written anything yet. He had a little more than two hours to write one now before the eagle-owl returned again. He listened to make sure no one else was up and tip-toed to their desk. A whispered spell lit the candle and he stared down at the blank paper thoughtfully. After a few moments to organize his thoughts and analyze the possible consequences of his words, he began to write:

_Serpentine,_

_This mystery concerning Jr. is fascinating. I have spoken to my godfather and he was not near Jr.'s cage. He was however positioned on the way to and from that particular cell. He saw Jr.'s visitors coming and going and, on the day he died, he remembered both of Jr.'s parents coming to say their farewells and that the mother looked ill; whether due to dementors or some other cause, he could not say. In any case, it looks like one or both of them had a hand in Jr.'s escape._

_Another puzzle that intrigues me is the puzzle of Bertha Jorkins. She worked in the Foreign Affairs department with Jr.'s father. Could the two be connected? And if so, are the current projects that Department is involved in also being manipulated by a second party? Have the World Cup and/or the Tri-wizard Tournament been tampered with? Or could they possibly be targets?_

_I'm interested to hear what more you can offer to help clear up this picture. As for our little alliance, I fear I have come to the end of my wealth of stories on the subject of my life. Are there any other areas you still hold curiosity about? I do so hope to be able to continue to supply you with a meaningful correspondence._

_Respectfully yours,_

_Shadow_

**xXxXxXx**

The week passed with no further confrontations. In fact, Silas didn't talk to any of the adults again and was feeling stronger due to Gabriel's efforts in making sure he was sleeping more, but he still spent a portion of the night practicing spells, Occlumency, and researching in the library.

He received his reply from Draco during the middle of the week and in it the Slytherin informed him that shortly after Jr.'s mother visited him, she died as well. As for what he wanted "Harry" to tell him about, he again asked about the validity of the friendship between the Golden Trio. He also wanted to know if he were aware that Ron and Hermione consciously kept him from the other students, telling them that he needed to be alone or that he was too busy to hang-out.

Silas, after questioning Ron, discovered Draco was right. Ron and Hermione did keep him away from others. Ron did it because Harry often needed space and kept others away hoping to give it to him. Once he thought about, Ron did admit to remembering Dumbledore talking to him in First Year and said that as Harry's best friend he had to be on the look out for people putting undue pressure on him or letting Harry get too overwhelmed with other people that he couldn't focus on himself or his school work.

Silas told Draco this in his reply and made it clear that he didn't feel strongly one way or another about the other two Gryffindors. Admittedly they were often annoying, but they were also occasionally useful. Besides, he wasn't all that interested in meeting the other Gryffindors. If Ron and Hermione kept his Housemates from questioning him about every little thing and hanging on his every word, then he was grateful.

As for Gabriel, he and Severus continued their dueling and he was making a little effort in learning Occlumency himself, though it wasn't going very far. He much preferred combat and when Sirius and Remus got involved in the duels as well he was ecstatic. He began to learn how to fight while within a team or even when there were multiple enemies.

Sirius learned a lot that week about Gabriel. At first, he was disappointed. He hadn't expected his godson's Gryffindor side to lecture him about being childish and causing more problems than he was solving with his name-calling and pranks, but as he got to know Gabriel better he had come to respect him. He found that though Gabriel was competitive, confident, and enjoyed having fun, he was not about to have it at someone else's expense. He wasn't confrontational because he enjoyed it, the way Sirius seemed to, he only confronted people when he thought they needed to be shown there was a problem or when he felt he could help create solutions.

Every night Boy came Out and was coaxed and cajoled by Padfoot to be less afraid and to be bold. Slowly, Boy was showing progress. As long as Severus or Remus were not looking at him, he no longer cried or whimpered. He would sit on the floor and actively pet the dog and even ate the food and drink left to him in the open. At first, he hid whenever Severus and Remus spoke, but by the end of the week he would no longer run and hide whenever they talked to each other. He would cling to Padfoot fearfully, but at least he was remaining in the open. Nothing calmed him, however, if the two men looked directly at the abused child. It always made him hysterical with fear.

Neville had a great time at the Herbology Institute. He returned home with pamphlets, several recommended Herbology books, and advice on what to do to be accepted into the graduate program offered there. This motivation toward a future where he wasn't a failure brought out qualities that had been buried for a long time. It made him confident, focused, and driven. He was also happier than he’d ever been. Harry and Remus were both ecstatic for him and promised to help all they could. They didn't have any doubts at all that Neville would be successful and it was their belief in him that helped him believe in himself.

Ron was growing ever more excited about the World Cup. He wrote Harry almost every other writing pages all referring to the Wizarding sport. It always made Harry laugh. So did Neville when Harry described Ron's enthusiasm/hysteria to him. They enjoyed the sport, Harry more so than Neville, but neither was as fanatical as the redhead.

All too soon Friday, August 7th came and Severus had to return to Hogwarts. Harry was surprised when he came down for breakfast and saw Remus' bags packed and placed by the front door as well as his mentor's. He continued on to the dinning room and found he was the last to arrive. Sirius was grinning and Remus and Severus were both wearing robes over their clothes.

"Good morning,” Harry greeted them as he took his seat.

Sirius ruffled his hair. "Good morning, pup."

Harry grimaced and quickly tried to smooth it flat again. "Why are you dressed up, Remus? Are you leaving, too?"

"I am." Remus smiled. "I was only a temporary Defense teacher until Dumbledore could hire someone with better credentials, but it seems there has been an opening in my field. I am going to be teaching History at Hogwarts from now on."

"That's great, Remy!" Harry grinned happily. "Will Sirius come to Hogwarts, too?"

Remus grinned back. "Not openly but maybe as Padfoot."

"He'd be your pet?" Harry laughed.

"Hey!" Sirius cried indignantly and tossed food at his godson.

"Stop acting like an animal, Black,” Severus snapped, disgusted. "I'm sure even you are capable of understanding what is acceptable behavior at the table."

"Shut up, Snape. It's not like it will hurt you."

"I'll miss you two,” Harry interrupted, hoping to forestall yet another fight. "It will be lonely without everyone here."

"Awww, I'll be here. Aren't I good enough?" Sirius pouted.

Harry laughed and pushed him on the shoulder. "Of course you are, Siri."

"I will try and make it home every few nights for dinner,” Severus said evenly. "If you have need of me at any time, have Omi come and fetch me."

Harry smiled. "Yes, Severus."

The dark-eyed man nodded and stood. Remus followed his example and the four went to the front door. The two men shrunk their bags and pocketed them. Harry hugged both of his teachers while Sirius pounded Remus on the back, wishing him luck. When they were alone, Sirius turned with a mischievous grin and swooped Harry into the air and spun him around.

"Alright! Now that it's just the two of us, we're going to have some serious fun!"

"I still have to do work, Sirius!" Harry laughed. "I promised!"

"Work shmurk! Let's take the bikes and go to town. We can eat out, get some ice cream, and see if anything fun is happening in the park. It'll be great!"

“Alright," Harry caved under his godfather's powerful enthusiasm and good cheer. "But tomorrow we have to study!"

"Fine, fine…" Sirius brushed that off and ran outside. 

Harry chased after him laughing.

**xXxXxXx**

Dumbledore stood at the window to his office. It was only about eight in the morning and the school grounds sprawled before him in a beautiful landscape under a cloudless blue summer sky, but he wasn't aware of the splendor. His mind was focused inward on a subject that he found himself lingering on more and more as the days passed: one Harry James Potter.

When Severus first told him that Harry had been severely mentally damaged, he had been absolutely terrified. How could he have made such a horrendous mistake? He knew instantly that he had been overconfident and could have possibly destroyed the world's only hope. 

He had known from the beginning that the Dursley family wouldn't be a caring one for Harry. He had deemed it best that someone so important to the world be shaped by a challenging environment instead of one that would spoil him and make him complacent, petty, and arrogant. Toward this goal, he’d placed Arabella Figg as Harry's watcher. 

Arabella was above reproach and was a Squib besides; who would be better to live in the Muggle world without raising suspicions? He had known that Arabella's trusting nature and penchant to distraction would work in his favor to help him keep the tensions in the Dursley house hidden. He had even kept an eye on the boy himself. He had all of Harry's school records and had interviewed with his teachers. The worst they said was Harry's bigger cousin bullied him and that he dressed poorly. There had never been any hint that the abuse exceeded neglect. So how did it go so wrong?

For one heart stopping moment, Albus had feared the worst. That he had allowed his charge to be broken and that Harry was too damaged to fulfill his duty to the world. He could literally taste the despair rising up in him and knew his soul to be damned. Then Severus had told him about Dissociative Identity Disorder and all at once he had realized the _gift_ the child had been given. The condition may have been created due to horrific events that never should have happened, but it had been worth it! Now the child could have his peace and innocence remain intact and the world would receive their hardened warrior.

With this condition, Harry would not have to suffer the hardships, the betrayals, and battles that would be demanded of him. He could push all the responsibilities onto an alter more capable than he may have been whole. This could be the power the Dark Lord knows not! Albus realized the beauty, the necessity, of Harry's condition and knew he had done the right thing for Harry and the rest of the world. He had gone from the deepest despair to the height of triumph within the space of half-an-hour.

It had worried him when Harry had regained consciousness. Had the dementors ruined the perfect balance of Harry's mind? He also had to allay Remus' suspicions of the context of Harry's worst memory. It wouldn't do for anyone besides Severus to find out the truth to Harry's condition. They wouldn't be able to understand or recognize the needs of the world and what it would have cost Harry to fulfill his destiny without the protection his condition provided him with.

And then Sirius had done the unthinkable. He had kidnapped the boy; taken him right out of Albus' hands. The Order still could not find him, and with the tournament coming and the influx of tourists and travelers for the World Cup, it was impossible to find the two fugitives. He could understand Sirius was unstable, that was expected after twelve years of Azkaban, but if he interfered with Harry's condition, Albus would not be able to forgive him. This was a lot bigger than the fun or happiness of one child and godfather.

"Master, the teachers are gathered in the staff room,” an elf announced as it popped into the office.

Dumbledore turned and nodded at the creature, sending it away to other duties. He sighed and took a deep breath. They had much work to do to prepare for the tournament. He would think about Harry and consider his options at another time. In any case, it would only be a few weeks more before he found out just how much damage Sirius had done and could take steps to correct it and preserve Harry's condition.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville had been home two weeks now and things had settled into a routine. He enjoyed his mornings and his evenings, but the afternoon was difficult. In the morning, he'd get up and have breakfast with his Gran, do the dishes, go up to his room and study. Most of that time was silent. His Gran talked to him some, but she didn't once critique him or bring up his past/present failings like she usually did. At first, he was uncomfortable with the way she watched him, but he was getting used to it. It was better than her shaking her head in disgust and resignation.

Things went downhill from there. It was his job to wake up Uncle Algie for lunch and the old man didn't enjoy that at all. He'd yell and rant at him for his rudeness and stupidity, but he would eventually come down to eat with them. Afterward, Gran made him play chess or checkers with him for a few hours. The whole time his uncle would be talking about people he had known in the past and how kids of today were ungrateful or lazy or any number of bad things. And he'd always look at Neville like he was the prime example of today's disgraces.

Neville managed to escape by saying he had to tend his garden before the sun went down. This was his favorite time of the day. Once the sun set, he came in and took a quick shower before dinner. He was very careful not to bring in dirt with him. Gran always got so mad at him when he did, even though it was a simple matter to clean it. The smallest smudge and she would scowl at Neville and demand to know where his brain had gone to and wonder why he couldn't do the simplest things. From there, it usually went to his parents and how they'd be disappointed in him. So far he had managed to escape this lecture.

After dinner, during which Uncle Algie and Gran always talked about things as if he weren't even there, Neville did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen by hand. His Gran didn't trust him near her dishes and pots and pans with magic. Then he went up to bed after kissing his family goodnight properly on the cheek. There he was free once again. He would practice his meditation and wait until he felt the faint trembling in his parchment that let him know Harry was writing to him and they would talk for a bit before they went to bed.

He missed Harry and Remus more with every passing hour. He missed their smiles and hugs. He missed laughing and talking about things on his mind. He hated having to watch every move he made and every word he said. He hated that his fear was returning. He was afraid of messing up, especially now that his Gran seemed to be satisfied with, if not proud of, his progress. She was watching him closer than ever, and when he managed not to do anything wrong or say something stupid, she'd smile faintly and nod her head in acknowledgement. She had never done that before and Neville was terrified of messing everything up again.

"Neville!" Augusta opened his bedroom door and frowned at him severely. "I've called you twice that it was time for lunch. What are you doing up here?"

Neville blushed hotly and stood so quickly that he knocked his chair over. He had been sitting at his desk thinking and had lost track of time. His Gran looked at the desk and the frown deepened when she saw there were neither papers on it nor a book open.

"I thought you used this time to study,” she scolded. "It's only been two weeks and you are already avoiding your work. Professor Lupin would be very ashamed, Neville. He has gone out of his way to better you and to be so ungrateful as this is a disgrace I will not bear. You will come right back up here after lunch and do your studies. I won't see the good work you've done go to waste because of your laziness. Now. Go wake your uncle and come down for lunch."

"Yes, ma’am," Neville said quickly, his cheeks burning with mortification, shame, and anger.

He didn't feel any better when he finally arrived with his uncle, but he hoped that if he could just escape notice the disaster from earlier would be forgotten, but it was not meant to be. His supposed slide back into bad habits had opened a flood gate in his grandmother. Augusta frowned at him when he added chips to his plate next to his sandwich and took the bowl away from him.

"I think that is enough, Neville,” she said primly. "I've noticed that you have gained a few pounds since you've returned home."

Neville lowered his head. "Yes, ma'am."

"When I was your age," Algie added from his spot and pointed with his spoon violently in Neville's direction, "I was out and about all the time. I was runnin' here and there and playing Quidditch on top of it. Why, there wasn't a single friend of mine overweight. I always said that you could tell a wizard by his build. One that is disciplined will be fit as a whistle. Why, look at me! I'm an old man and I could outrun you!"

"There is nothing wrong with respecting Quidditch from a distance,” Augusta sniffed. "But I will not argue that physical health is important. What did Professor Lupin have you do to shed your weight, Neville?"

"We worked out in a training room and also dueled, ma’am," he answered meekly.

"Is that so?" Augusta frowned again. "Well, we don't have a training room, but I'm sure I can arrange it so that you have a dueling partner."

Neville winced, but he said what was required. "Thank you, ma'am."

**xXxXxXx**

The next morning his Gran woke him and told him to dress for a practice duel. She had gotten in touch with a friend of hers who had a grandson about Neville's age who wouldn't mind having practice duels at all. In fact, he even went to Hogwarts and she hoped that he would continue the practice when he went to school. Neville had little hope to begin with, but as soon as he heard the boy went to Hogwarts he knew the day wasn't going to be a good one.

As he had guessed, his reputation had preceded him. Justin Finch-Fletchley was in fact in the same year as him and was a Hufflepuff. He flooed over with his grandmother and the two women shoed them out of the house to get some exercise. Neville led him out of sight of the house and turned to face the other boy.

"I'm only here because my grandmother is making me, Longbottom,” Justin said with a resigned shrug. "I'll try not to hurt you."

Neville blushed hotly. "I didn't ask for you to be here, either."

“Whatever," Justin sighed. "Well, I might as well make this worth something. Let's work on shields since I don't want you to blow anything up. Stand there and I'll curse you. Block them if you can." Justin lifted his wand without further warning and began firing spells.

Neville couldn't get a shield up in time and danced in place before falling back on his bottom, making the other boy shake his head with pity. Because of that, he had time to shield before the next curse. Neville just stood there and took the hexes and curses, shielding and blocking as best he could. He'd duck and dodge when he couldn't. Justin thought this funny and it became a game to see how many times he could get Neville to jump out of the way.

It happened less and less as the days went by. Neville had always been best at defensive magic and all the practice with shielding spells made him quite good. The side-effect to this was Justin got bored and, after only four days, wanted to stop coming. Gran, as expected, blamed Neville for this and told him that she was highly disappointed that he couldn't manage to keep a simple partner for dueling. He was an embarrassment. How was she supposed to act around her long-time friend now when her grandson disgraces himself so?

It was all just too much. Justin and his taunts and insults reminded him of Hogwarts and his many failures and shortcomings there. His Gran made him feel stupid for ever thinking he could do something right. He was the black sheep of the family and there was no chance that he could ever change or become someone better. He was only deluding himself that he could do anything and be good at it. His parents would be ashamed. He was worthless and clumsy and fat. He wasn't good for anything. He was just Neville Longbottom: stupid, clumsy, impossible at potions and magic.

Slowly the pain faded and his mind uncoiled from the panic attack. The voices in his head quieted and he realized he was in his bathroom. His face was wet with tears and he had a razor in his hand. Three even cuts were bleeding on his already scarred forearm. Immediately he thought of Harry and Remus. They would be disgusted with him. He was so weak! He cut again and again until he no longer thought of them or anyone. He sat numb, bleeding. At least it no longer hurt.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry came down for breakfast Tuesday morning worried. Sirius knew immediately that something wasn't right and asked what was wrong. Harry took his seat and worried at his lip.

"It's Neville. We write each other on the parchment you and Remus made every night and last night he didn't write."

"I'm sure nothing is wrong, Harry,” Sirius reassured. "Maybe he was just busy or went to bed early because he was tired. Maybe he wasn't even home and his grandmother took him somewhere."

"I don't know." Harry shook his head and stared up at Sirius with wide, trusting eyes. "I just feel like something is wrong."

"If he doesn't write back again tonight, then we'll have Remus check up on him. I know Moony would love the excuse." Sirius grinned and ruffled Harry's hair.

The teen pouted and fought it back into place while Sirius laughed. "Why do you do that, Siri?"

The man grinned unrepentant. "Because it's fun!"

**xXxXxXx**

Neville didn't write again that night so Harry sent Omi with a note explaining his worry and asking Remus to check up on him. Omi came back ten minutes later with Remus' reply. He'd go first thing in the morning. Sighing happily and trusting that Remus would make things fine again, Harry went to sleep without another worry.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus was glad Dumbledore let him go a day early. He wanted to check on Neville. The full moon was in two days and he didn't have to be back at school for another four. It was early, but not very when he fire-called Mrs. Longbottom. The matronly witch immediately granted him entrance and sat him down at the table for some tea and cookies.

"Are you sure you won't have some breakfast?" she asked as she sat across from them. "We've already eaten, but I can put something together for you. You look a little under the weather today."

"Just a cold, I assure you." He smiled sweetly and nursed his cup of tea. "How has your summer been?"

"Just fine, just fine. We were very surprised at the way Neville came back to us. We are both very grateful for all that you've done."

"It was nothing." Remus shook his head. "He just needed more confidence and the rest was easy."

"I'm sorry to say that all your hard work has come to naught. That boy was here only a few days when he began to slip back into his old way of things." She frowned. "There is no excuse for letting yourself go just because you don't have a taskmaster hovering over your shoulder every moment of every day. I had hoped he would have learned a little bit of self-discipline by now, but he's hopeless."

"I hardly believe that to be the case, madam,” Remus said stiffly. "Neville is talented and kind. He's a good person and you should be proud. It is hard to be strong when your only family keeps telling you what a failure you are. It gets to the point where you believe what you've been told and so you make it true."

Augusta sat very tall and straight in her chair. Her face was tight with anger. "I don't know what you are implying, Professor Lupin."

"I think you do,” he said softly. "I know you love your grandson and want him to be the best he can be, I just suggest that you are going about things the wrong way. If you really want Neville to be confident, strong, and happy, you would be wise to be careful what you say to him. Your constant disapproval and expectations of his failure are constantly beating him down. You are breaking his will and self-worth and, of course, nothing good will come of that."

"That is enough." She stood. "I think it is best that you leave."

Remus stood as well. "Please, ma'am. I'm worried about Neville. He hasn't contacted me in a while when he said he would. Let me check on him quickly before I go."

"Very well, but only because of your tutoring him. After this, you are not welcome here,” she snapped.

Remus bowed his head and made his way upstairs. He knocked on Neville's door and got a bleak "Yes, ma'am?" in answer. Frowning, he opened the door and stepped in. Neville was at his desk with a book open and was taking notes. When he finally looked up from the page, Neville's brown eyes went wide.

"R-r-remus!" he stuttered fearfully.

"Neville, I've missed you." Remus smiled lovingly and crossed the room to hug the teen. Neville was stiff in his arms, but he slowly relaxed. Remus rocked him gently when the boy began to tremble. "What's wrong, Neville? Why haven't you contacted me?"

Neville shook his head helplessly and pulled away from his teacher. He had come to look on this man as a father and he couldn't bear to see disgust or disappointment in his eyes. Remus wouldn't let him hide, however, and forced his face around to look him in the eye. Neville frowned at what he saw. Remus looked tired and pale and sick. His amber eyes were flecked with gold. It must be close to the moon. Immediately he felt guilty for adding burdens to his mentor's shoulders when he already had so much to deal with.

"Neville," Remus said softly. "I love you. I'm proud of you and I don't think any less of you for becoming depressed in this house. No one would be able to live here and be content. Do you understand me? I would be disappointed if you _did_ accept the way you are treated and weren't affected by it. You care about what others think of you and you want to make your family proud. That is admirable, especially since a lesser person would have given up by now and said to hell with it. I am here for you. It makes me happy to be able to help you and take care of you. I've never really had the chance to do that for anyone. I've never had children or godchildren and I've come to enjoy being there for you. You should never be afraid to come to me for help or reassurance."

"I'm so sorry, Remus!" Neville threw his arms around his mentor's neck and began to cry. "I… I don't know what I was thinking… It was like this summer never happened… It faded like a dream and I began to believe I was worthless and useless again… and… and…."

"Shhh…" Remus held him. "You have no reason to doubt yourself. None. You've done a lot this summer and should be proud of all that you've accomplished. I know I am. Harry is worried about you and so is Sirius. Severus even nodded to me for good luck when I left Hogwarts to come and see you. We aren't a dream. We believe in you. It'll be okay. There's only eleven more days before school starts."

"I know." Neville sat back and wiped at his cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Remus smiled. "We miss you, Nev, and we'll be very glad to have you back with us soon. I know your grandmother loves you, too. She honestly isn't aware of how much she hurts you. Just give her time. Once you are on your own feet, she'll see that you are independent and intelligent and she will be proud."

"I hope so." Neville sighed. "It just doesn't seem like anything I do will be enough. There will always be something lacking in me."

"That's not true,” Remus said firmly. "Look at me." 

Neville did so reluctantly. 

"There is nothing wrong with you. You've done nothing wrong. You are a good person and many people love you."

Neville laughed weakly. It felt good to hear those things, but that didn't make it any easier to do so. "I feel ridiculous."

Remus laughed with him. "Maybe so, but I can't be any more subtle. I don't have much time. I'm afraid I said a few things to your grandmother and I'm no longer welcome here."

"What?" Neville stared in shock. "You are always welcome here, Remus!"

"Maybe for you, cub." He smiled and ruffled his hair. "I want you to promise me that you'll write Harry every night and that you will not forget everything you learned no matter how hard it is. I'm here for you, and if you feel like it has gotten to be too much, please floo me. I would love to talk to you."

Neville nodded.

"And be careful." Remus wrapped his hands gently around Neville's forearms. "Don't fall back on your addiction. I know it is hard. I _know_ , remember? It's all the sweeter after not doing it for a long time and it’s very easy to go too far. I don't think I could handle it if you died, Neville."

"Remus…" Neville whispered and began to cry. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"I know you'll do your best and that is definitely enough for me." He smiled and stood. "I'll see you soon and I'll be expecting a few calls."

Neville nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Remus. For everything."

"You're welcome. And thank you very much, Neville. For everything."

Neville laughed. "You're welcome."

"That's much better." Remus sighed. "My job is done here. Come. Why don't you walk me to the floo? And I apologize ahead of time if I've made things even more difficult between you and your family."

"I'll be alright,” Neville promised and walked with his teacher downstairs.

His grandmother was standing forebodingly by the fire with her arms crossed and her strongest look of disapproval. Remus ignored it easily, but Neville felt anger begin to stir. How dare she treat Remus this way? Remus hugged him one last time and politely said goodbye to both him and his grandmother before stepping into the fire and calling "Hogsmeade!" As soon as he was gone, his grandmother started in on him.

"I don't want him back here again, Neville. He is very rude and I don't like what he's filling your head with."

"Funny, you loved what he was filling my head with when I first got back." Neville glared. One part of him was shocked and frightened at how he was talking to his grandmother, but the bigger part of him was furious that she was treating Remus poorly. "You were so grateful that he took on such a hopeless case and you were surprised at how much he helped me."

"That is enough! I see I am correct. A few minutes with you and you behave like an unmannered and unpleasant child,” She scolded severely. "What would your parents say?"

"I don't know because they've never said anything to me and never will!" Neville yelled. "What would they say about you using them against me every second of the day? I don't think they'd be pleased! Personally, I would hope that they'd love me no matter what, but I could be wrong!"

"Go to your room this instant, young man!" she yelled furiously.

"Remus has helped me more than you ever have!" Neville finished. "He made me believe I could actually do something worthwhile if I worked hard enough instead of believing that no matter what I did I was going to be a failure and an embarrassment! He was never surprised when I did things right and never disappointed when I messed up. Instead he worked with me to help me get it right, believing I could! And it is disgraceful that you are treating him so poorly when he has done nothing but help me and make me happy without asking for anything in return!"

With that, he walked calmly up the stairs and back into his room. He shut his door behind him and slid down to the floor. The shock and fear took over now that his anger was gone and he found it difficult to breathe. His hands were shaking and he was certain he was going to faint, but he didn't regret anything he had said. It had been a long time coming, really. Once he got himself under control, he made his way to his desk and took out the parchment connected to Harry.

_Hey, Harry. I just wanted to let you know I'm okay and I'm really sorry about not writing the last two nights. I was just in a bad place. Being home caught up with me and I wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Don't worry, though, Remus came and set me straight. I really miss you guys, but school starts soon and I know I can hold out that long. Tell Sirius hi for me! I love you, Neville._

Later that night, Harry found Neville's letter and happily replied to it. They talked for a little bit and both went to bed feeling better than they had in a while.

**xXxXxXx**

In the days that followed, Neville's grandmother left him alone. She didn't look at him or talk to him. Uncle Algie picked up on the tension and for once decided to leave it be. Neville was glad for the space and returned to practicing meditating. He hadn't been able to do it when he had been so depressed.

As for Harry, he received an interesting note from Ron. It seemed his father won tickets to the World Cup. There were two extra. Harry declined the invitation, explaining that he had tickets as well, but he wasn't sure he'd be allowed to go. Instead, he asked Ron if he'd invite Neville.

_I don't know, mate,_ Ron answered. _I don't even think he likes Quidditch._

_He'd love to go,_ Harry argued. _And if I do go, I want to be able to see him! He's my friend, too. And I wouldn't mind seeing Hermione, either. She said she was sorry and if I think she means it when I see her again I would be happy to be her friend again, too._

_I thought I was your best mate?_

_Neville and I really got to know each other last year when you and Hermione were too busy for us. And I've been writing him just like I've been writing to you. You're both my friends._

_Oh. Well, whatever you say, mate. I guess I could invite him._

_Thanks, Ron._

_No problem. He's not too bad. And maybe the twins will prank him for awhile instead of me,_ Ron answered happily.

**xXxXxXx**

Gabriel and Silas were in the sitting room. Harry had just gone to bed after talking to Ron. Gabriel was hoping he could convince Silas to use this time to rest as well. The Slytherin was pale and drawn again, and no matter what he said the Slytherin wouldn't rest.

"Come on, Sy…" Gabriel tried again.

“Later," Silas snapped. "I have to figure this out. I know I have all the pieces… The answer is right in front of me… and every time I lay down, it hovers just out of reach…"

"Is this about the World Cup? We don't even know if we're going, so why are you so worried?"

"Because I'm not sure if we should go or not,” Silas sneered. "This could be a good opportunity to gather information without being in too much danger. On the other hand, if the Death Eaters are planning to go on a killing spree, we'd be better off staying away."

“Look," Gabriel said firmly, his blue eyes unwavering. "Running yourself into the ground won't help anything. Maybe the answers you are looking for will come clear once you get some rest and are able to think straight again."

Silas sighed. "I know, Gabe, but we're running out of time. The World Cup is on Monday. That's only two days and if we need to convince Severus to let us go that might not be enough time."

"That won't be a problem,” Gabriel reassured. "If we need to go and he won't let us we'll go anyway. We'll steal the tickets and go. I promise, Silas, we'll do what needs to be done either way."

"Good point." Silas smirked. "For once."

Gabriel grinned. "Shut up and go to bed."

Silas chuckled and stood. He stretched and gave a small wave before heading toward his bedroom. He was only halfway there when he collapsed. Gabriel lunged for him and turned him over. Silas' face was taut and a lightning bolt scar appeared on his head. It looked red and inflamed. He sighed and lifted the Slytherin, carrying him to his bed.

"I hope the information you wanted is worth it.” Frowning worriedly, Gabriel left him to his vision. The only thing he could do was keep an eye on Harry and make sure nothing happened to the teen while Silas was unavailable.

**Chapter end**.


	29. Visions and Quidditch

**Visions and Quidditch**

**( …** Slowly Silas' vision cleared and he found himself in a room. It was fairly empty and the only light was coming from the fireplace. Dust covered everything and the room itself looked to be falling apart. _There's someone here,_ he realized, and stepped around a large backed chair for a better look. He grimaced in disgust at what he found.

Wormtail was crouched before a chair, and in it, there was a wrinkled husk of a creature. It was small, about the size of a man's torso, and was gray as a corpse. Its eyes were lidless and wet; the dark color reminded Silas of blood even though they were black. It took all of Silas' self-control to keep from gagging, but nothing could stop his stomach from churning.

"There is a little more in the bottle, My Lord, if you are still hungry,” Wormtail said, timid and fearful. In his hand was a large glass vial that held what looked to be brown syrup. Swirls of red and yellow and a sickly green caught the light when the rat-like man offered it to Voldemort.

"Later," Voldemort answered, waving his short stick of an arm sharply. His voice was strangely high-pitched and cold as ice. "Move me closer to the fire, Wormtail."

Wormtail did as he was told and Silas watched all this with a sneer on his face. Voldemort looked horrific but very weak. He doubted he'd be very hard to kill in this state. What the hell was wrong with Wormtail that he would serve this disgusting thing? He was so annoying. His voice and mannerisms grated on the nerves and he couldn't understand how Voldemort could stand him.

"Where is Nagini?" the broken Dark Lord demanded.

"I – I don't know, My Lord. She set out to explore the house, I think…"

"You will milk her before we retire, Wormtail. I will need feeding in the night. The journey has tired me greatly."

Wormtail bowed his head with submissive agreement. "My Lord, may I ask how long we are going to stay here?"

"A week,” Voldemort answered in a slow whisper. "Perhaps longer. The place is moderately comfortable and the plan cannot proceed yet. It would be foolish to act before the Quidditch World Cup is over."

"The – the Quidditch World Cup, My Lord?" Wormtail whined. Silas wanted to bash the man's head in just to make him shut up. "Forgive me, but – I do not understand – why should we wait until the World Cup is over?"

"Because, fool, at this very moment wizards are pouring into the country from all over the world, and every meddler from the Ministry of Magic will be on duty, on the watch for signs of unusual activity, checking and double-checking identities. They will be obsessed with security lest the Muggles notice anything. So we wait."

"Your Lordship is still determined, then?" Wormtail said quietly. 

Silas wondered if he had a death wish. Was he seriously questioning Voldemort? Even when Voldemort was a wrinkled worm surely he wouldn't stand for that.

"Certainly I am determined, Wormtail,” the demonic creature said with such menace that Wormtail flinched back and away from the chair, but the stupid minion continued to press his point.

"It could be done without Harry Potter, My Lord."

Voldemort stared at Wormtail hard with his inhuman eyes, making the man cower and whine. "Without Harry Potter? … I see…"

"My Lord, I do not say this out of concern for the boy!" Wormtail said quickly, his voice squeaking with terror. "The boy is nothing to me, nothing at all! It is merely that if we were to use another witch or wizard – any wizard – the thing could be done so much more quickly! If you allowed me to leave you for a short time – you know that I can disguise myself most effectively – I could be back here in as little as two day with a suitable person – "

"And so you volunteer to go and fetch me a substitute? I wonder… perhaps the task of nursing me has become wearisome for you, Wormtail? Could this suggestion of abandoning the plan be nothing more than an attempt to desert me?"

"My Lord! I – I have no wish to leave you, none at all – "

"Do not lie to me!" Voldemort yelled, his voice cutting and sharp. "I can always tell, Wormtail! You are regretting that you ever returned to me. I revolt you. I see you flinch when you look at me, feel you shudder when you touch me…"

Silas smirked. Really, what was Voldemort expecting? He looked like a monstrous fetus. Who wouldn't be disgusted? And Wormtail wasn't a shining example of a good actor. There was no way he'd be able to hide his emotions well enough when faced with something so extreme.

Wormtail reached shaking hands toward his Master in supplication, "No! My devotion to Your Lordship – "

"Your devotion is nothing more than cowardice. You would not be here if you had anywhere else to go. How am I to survive without you, when I need feeding every few hours? Who is to milk Nagini?"

"But you seem so much stronger, My Lord – "

"Liar," Voldemort said lowly, darkly. "I am no stronger, and a few days alone would be enough to rob me of the little health I have regained under your clumsy care. _Silence_!"

Wormtail, who had been sputtering incoherently, fell silent at once. Silas was no longer thinking about the pathetic man, his thoughts were on what Voldemort had said. He would die if left alone? Then he was right. Voldemort was weak now and easy to kill. He listened intently, hoping beyond hope that the conversation would give him a clue as to where in the hell Voldemort was.

"I have my reasons for using the boy," Voldemort hissed, almost speaking in Parseltongue and not English. For the first time, Silas understood why some people might think the ability was evil, "…as I have already explained to you, and I will use no other. I have waited thirteen years. A few more months will make no difference. As for the protection surrounding the boy, I believe my plan will be effective. All that is needed is a little courage from you, Wormtail – courage you will find, unless you wish to feel the full extent of Lord Voldemort's wrath – "

"My Lord, I must speak!" Wormtail said in panic, interrupting. Silas winced. "All through our journey I have gone over the plan in my head – My Lord, Bertha Jorkins' disappearance will not go unnoticed for long, and if we proceed, if I murder – "

"If? _If_? If you follow the plan, Wormtail, the Ministry need never know that anyone has died. You will do it quietly and without fuss; I only wish that I could do it myself, but in my present condition… Come, Wormtail, one more death and our path to Harry Potter is clear. I am not asking you to do it alone. By that time, my faithful servant will have rejoined us."

" _I_ am a faithful servant,” Wormtail begged.

"Wormtail, I need somebody with brains, somebody whose loyalty has never wavered, and you, unfortunately, fulfill neither requirement."

"I found you,” he said sullenly. "I was the one who found you. I brought you Bertha Jorkins."

Silas shook his head. That a man could be brought so low… It literally disgusted him. Voldemort seemed like an upstanding individual when compared to Wormtail.

"That is true,” Voldemort said with dark humor. "A stroke of brilliance I would not have thought possible from you, Wormtail – though, if truth be told, you were not aware how useful she would be when you caught her, were you?"

"I – I thought she might be useful, My Lord."

"Liar." Voldemort chuckled and the sound made Silas shiver. "However, I do not deny that her information was invaluable. Without it, I could never have formed our plan, and for that, you will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform…"

"R-really, My Lord? What – ?" Wormtail sounded terrified again. 

At last, the greasy man showed intelligence, Silas sneered. He agreed that whatever Voldemort had in mind wasn't going to be pleasant for the sniveling man at all.

"Ah, Wormtail, you don't want me to spoil the surprise? Your part will come at the very end… but I promise you, you will have the honor of being just as useful as Bertha Jorkins."

"You… you…" 

His voice sounded hoarse. Silas shook his head; Voldemort already said he was weak and would die if left alone, what was keeping the pathetic excuse of a human hanging around? Obviously it would be his doom. 

"You… are going… to kill me, too?"

"Wormtail, Wormtail," Voldemort said silkily. "Why would I kill you? I killed Bertha because I had to. She was fit for nothing after my questioning, quite useless. In any case, awkward questions would have been asked if she had gone back to the Ministry with the news that she had met you on her holidays. Wizards who are supposed to be dead would do well not to run into Ministry of Magic witches at wayside inns…"

"We could have modified her memory instead of killing her,” Wormtail sulked.

Voldemort laughed. It was an entirely mirthless sound, cold as his speech. "But Memory Charms can be broken by a powerful wizard, as I proved when I questioned her. It would be an insult to her _memory_ not to use the information I extracted from her, Wormtail… One more murder… My faithful servant at Hogwarts…. Harry Potter is as good as mine, Wormtail. It is decided. There will be no more argument. But quiet… I think I hear Nagini…"

Silas listened to him call out in Parseltongue asking her to come to him. A few seconds later a huge twelve foot snake with a diamond pattern on her back slithered into the room. Her undulating body cut a wide, curving track across the room and through the thick dust on the floor.

**“** _Massster, may I have the delisssiousss old magiclessssss-man ssstanding in the hall?”_

"Nagini has interesting news, Wormtail,” Voldemort practically purred.

"In-indeed, My Lord?" Wormtail whimpered.

"Indeed yes. According to Nagini, there is an old Muggle standing right outside this room, listening to every word we say."

Wormtail jumped to his feet and ran to the door, flinging it open. Silas saw an old man with a cane, a limp, and a flashlight staring into the room with a fearful and confused expression. Silas sighed. The world was full of stupid people it seemed.

"Invite him inside, Wormtail. Where are you manners?"

Wormtail obediently beckoned the old man into the room. The man stared at the back of the armchair that Voldemort was sitting in with a horrified fascination. Silas thought he should be grateful he couldn't see the disgusting little Dark Lord.

"You heard everything, Muggle?" Voldemort asked, smiling down at his snake, which was curled up on the rug in front of the fire.

"What's that you're calling me?" the man said defiantly. 

Silas half-lidded his eyes and leaned against the wall, resigned. He already knew how this would play out.

"I am calling you a Muggle. It means that you are not a wizard,” Voldemort drawled with dark amusement. Wormtail was shaking with fear.

"I don't know what you mean by wizard,” the man said angrily. "All I know is I've heard enough to interest the police tonight, I have. You've done murder and you're planning more! And I'll tell you this, too. My wife knows I'm up here and if I don't come back…"

"You have no wife,” Voldemort said quietly, a sick smile stretching his distorted face. "Nobody knows you are here. You told nobody that you were coming. Do not lie to Lord Voldemort, Muggle, for he knows… he always knows…"

Silas snorted from his place. What a pile of dung. If Voldemort was so high and mighty, he wouldn't need to lord it over a soon to be dead Muggle just to make himself feel better. Wormtail wasn't as unimpressed. He was practically kissing the ground in awe and fear of what would happen next.

"Is that right?" the man demanded. He hadn't yet realized there was no way out of the room alive. "Lord, is it? Well, I don't think much of your manners, _My Lord_. Turn 'round and face me like a man, why don't you?"

"But I am not a man, Muggle. I am much, much more than a man. However… why not? I will face you… Wormtail, come and turn my chair around."

Wormtail whimpered and made no move to do as he was bid.

"You heard me, Wormtail."

Slowly, with his face screwed up, as though he would rather have done anything other than approach his Master and the hearth rug where Nagini lay, the small man walked forward and began to turn the chair. The snake lifted its triangular head and hissed slightly as the legs of the chair snagged on its rug.

And then the chair was facing the Muggle man and he saw what was sitting in it. His walking stick fell to the floor with a clatter and he opened his mouth to let out a horrified scream. He was screaming so loudly that he never heard the words the thing in the chair spoke as it raised a wand. There was a flash of green light and he crumpled silent to the ground. The snake hissed her pleasure and went to feed. Silas felt himself being released from the vision and could only sigh in relief. He had no desire to watch Nagini eat. **… )**

**xXxXxXx**

Silas slowly sat up, his hand coming up and tangling in his hair. He felt exhausted, but he had to tell Gabriel before he could sleep. He stumbled out of bed and made it to his door. He opened it and took two clumsy steps into the sitting room where Gabriel sat watchful on the couch. The Gryffindor leapt to his feet and instantly helped support him.

"Sy? Are you okay? What did you see?" Gabriel asked as he sat the Slytherin down.

"Voldemort is in England somewhere and very weak. He was with Wormtail and said if he were to be left alone he'd die. I don't know why that little rat insists on helping the Dark Lord when all he does is insult him and threaten him. Granted, Wormtail honestly deserves the insults. He's the stupidest man I've ever met."

"Sy, you're babbling,” Gabriel said worriedly.

"Right." Silas shook his head weakly. "Basically I learned that Voldemort is disgusting and an easy kill, but we can't do anything about it because I have no idea where in the hell he is. Voldemort has a pet snake that is very poisonous and can eat a man. Her name is Nagini. Last, I learned that he wants to stay unnoticed during the World Cup so it should be safe for us to go. His next diabolical plan revolves around the Tri-Wizard Tournament and one of his faithful followers infiltrating the school to kidnap us. He needs us alive for something important."

"The what tournament?" Gabriel frowned.

Silas hid a wince. He had completely forgotten that he hadn't told the Gryffindor about that yet. Hmmm, how should he recover? An idea came to him and he played up his exhaustion, leaning against the couch and making his body go fairly limp. If he could distract Gabriel from asking too many questions, all the better.

"It seems that during this coming school term Hogwarts will be hosting a tournament that involves three students from three different schools. It's a dangerous competition and the winner is highly acclaimed."

"Why does Voldemort care?"

"I don't know." Silas smiled grimly. "Yet."

Gabriel shook his head with fond exasperation. Silas could be so damn stubborn. Not that Gabriel blamed him, but when it came to knowledge the Slytherin would stop at nothing until he had it. "So you want us to go to the World Cup?"

"Yes." Silas nodded, thankful Gabriel wasn't going to question his sources, but he knew the Gryffindor wasn't stupid. He was merely focusing on the more immediate matters first. He hadn't forgotten anything. "It will be a good chance for us to get a feel for what's going on in the world before we go back to school."

"Alright." Gabriel stood and pulled Silas up with him. "You are going back to bed. Don't worry about anything and rest. Trust me to handle getting us to the World Cup."

"I do,” Silas answered softly. "Thank you, Gabe."

"You must be really tired to say that to _me_." Gabriel laughed as he settled Silas back on his green silk bed. "Go to sleep, Sy."

Silas waved him away and curled up, pulling his blankets around him. Gabriel smiled fondly and left, shutting the door quietly behind him. He looked Out and saw that Harry was beginning to wake. Gently, he slid between Harry and the Outside, and the Host alter went back to sleep, curled up on the couch in the sitting room.

**xXxXxXx**

Sirius smiled as his godson entered the dinning room for breakfast. It only took a second to know that this wasn't Harry but Gabriel. He shrugged mentally and greeted the Gryffindor alter. Gabriel greeted him back and immediately brought up the subject at hand. It wasn't in his nature to beat around the bush or indulge in polite small talk just for the sake of things before getting down to business.

"What's the final verdict on going to the Quidditch World Cup?"

"I've had several heated conversations with Snape and have written several lengthy letters. He is still undecided." Sirius sighed. "Why? Are you excited about going?"

"It should be fun." Gabriel grinned. "And Ron just contacted Harry and told him that he's going to be there with his family and Hermione. He got an extra ticket for Harry, but Harry talked Ron into inviting Nev instead."

"Well, why don't we call up Snape? Maybe he'll give in if we both beg him,” Sirius said with a wicked grin and called for Omi.

The elf bowed at the request to bring Snape and disappeared. The two ate breakfast and talked about dueling and Quidditch. Snape didn't arrive until they had finished and were on their second cup of tea. Snape walked into the room with a scowl on his face. 

"What is it?" he demanded.

"We want to go to the World Cup." Gabriel stood and faced the man. "Even Neville is going because Ron had an extra ticket. Plus, there'll be thousands of witches and wizards to hide among and the Ministry has established really thorough security around the arena. There's no reason why we can't go."

"Come on, Snape. I'll be with him and there's a third ticket for you or Remus. He'll be well protected,” Sirius said in a stern, begging voice. 

The combination was very difficult to pull off. Gabriel was impressed. He decided to help and subtly shifted his fingers so that the silver ring caught the light. "And we have an escape route if it becomes necessary."

Severus stared hard at them both. "The Wolf will not be well enough to go due to the moon. He will be an added liability."

"But…" Sirius began with a fierce glare.

"I will go and keep an eye on things,” Severus interrupted, glaring back. "You are both to be Polyjuiced and you, Mutt, must swear a wizard's oath that you will be serious during the duration. No pranks, no games, and no unnecessary risks."

"I swear on my magic that I will not take unnecessary risks in the name of fun,” Sirius swore solemnly.

"Good." Severus nodded. "Who does it say you are on the tickets?"

"Friends of mine." Sirius shrugged. "They aren't going and promised to remain inside all that day. It's fool proof, I swear. Your ticket is blank, of course. You have to register tonight."

"When do we leave?"

"I got us scheduled for a 7 AM departure from London. We need to be at a Muggle book store a block away from the Leaky Cauldron."

Severus nodded and stalked from the room without another word. They both heard the front door shut, signaling the Professor had returned to school. 

Gabriel grinned. "That wasn't so hard."

"Guess not." Sirius ruffled his hair with a laugh.

"Let Harry know what's going on,” Gabriel ordered and then smiled slyly. "Are you still up for a duel later? Or are you still sore from last time, old man?"

"I'M NOT OLD!" Sirius bellowed, still smarting from losing the duel.

"Ummm… Alright?" Harry asked meekly.

Sirius laughed hard at Gabriel's escape. "Cheeky little bugger," he offered as an explanation between gasps for breath. 

Harry had to help him stand and was both amused and worried. Sirius ruffled his hair and told him that they were going to the World Cup. Harry hugged his godfather happily before trying to fix his messy hair. 

Sirius started laughing again.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville was shocked when he got the invitation from the Weasleys. Harry hadn't warned him ahead of time because he wanted it to be a surprise. Neville was really glad for the chance to leave early, but he didn't think his Gran would let him go since they were still upset at each other. He was pleasantly surprised, however, when she gave him permission. Everything was arranged and the Weasleys would come and pick him up tomorrow. He'd spend the last week of summer with them.

**xXxXxXx**

Monday morning arrived quickly and Sirius woke Harry up at 5:30. They had to leave the house in an hour to be on time to meet Severus at the book store. Harry happily got dressed and fixed his hair, though he supposed it didn't matter since he would be taking Polyjuice soon. When he was done, he hurried downstairs and quickly ate breakfast. Sirius was so excited he was practically bouncing in his seat and Harry had to start pulling up his shields or he'd be infected with his godfather's powerful enthusiasm.

"You ready?" Sirius grinned.

Harry smiled back and accepted the potion. "Yes."

They both drank it down quickly as the taste was horrendous. The changes started taking place slowly and Harry watched fascinated as Sirius' hair shortened and became sandy-blonde. His eyes remained blue, but they deepened a few shades in color. His face filled out some and his jaw became squarer. He grew an inch and his shoulders broadened and his arms became more muscular. Now Harry understood the reason Sirius was wearing baggier clothes than normal this morning.

He worried about his own clothes and wondered why Sirius hadn't warned him. He looked down and saw that he had not grown. In fact, he was smaller then before. He ran to the sitting room and looked in the mirror. He had large baby-blue eyes and chin length strawberry blonde hair. It was thin and very straight, the exact opposite of his natural hair. He smiled and thought he looked very sweet. In fact, it reminded him of a boy version of Rose.

"Who are we?" he called and giggled at his young piping voice.

"I am Robert Cauldwell and you are Owen, my eleven-year-old son. You will begin your First Year at Hogwarts come September."

"How do you know them, and aren't they upset they couldn't come themselves?"

"Owen's a bit shy and his mother didn't want him going. I know them from my days as an Auror. I saved them and we've kept in touch since then. While I was vacationing on the beach, I told my side of the story and they welcomed back my friendship. When he mentioned the World Cup tickets Owen got for his birthday from his uncle and how he and his wife weren't sure they should go, I offered to take them off of their hands and asked for a piece of his hair and his son's hair so I wouldn't be caught. They agreed. Simple as that."

"Oh." Harry smiled. "Thank you for going to all that trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble, kid." He laughed. "Now let's get going or we'll be late."

**xXxXxXx**

Severus watched the muggle crowd with expressionless eyes. He suspected that he'd be able to recognize the mutt no matter what Black looked like. His eyes snapped to every loud man that passed. His body was tense, waiting for a prank. Anyone who looked like they were about to approach was scrutinized closely and most decided to go in a different direction. That suited him just fine and he went back to scanning the crowd.

Suddenly a young boy turned the corner onto the street next to the book store and large blue eyes met his own. The boy smiled with delight and happiness. Severus was taken aback by the expression, knowing instantly this was Harry. No one else would ever look at him in that manner. He grimaced at the boy's appearance; it was way too helpless for his liking. The child would make an easy target should trouble arise. On the other hand, their enemies would also underestimate him and that could save Harry's life.

Harry was wearing a plain red shirt with a dark brown, leather bomber jacket and dark blue jeans with white sneakers. They were his own clothes and so were baggy on his now eleven-year-old frame. His glasses were gone and his face was less round and more angular. His eyes were just as large as they normally were and his hair was strawberry blonde, straight, and chin length.

The man holding his hand was younger than Black by a few years. He had broad muscular shoulders and wore a light flannel jacket over a white shirt and faded jeans. He carried a backpack on his back and Severus didn't want to imagine what the mutt had brought with him. The face he wore was masculine and his blonde hair was cropped short. He was obviously the boy's father and Severus' hands clenched in reaction. A wave of possessive anger welled up in him. How dare Black pose as Harry's father! The thought startled him so much that he was struck mute as the two approached and the child hugged him briefly.

"Severus!" Harry smiled up at him. "Are we late?"

"Of course we aren't. But we've got about thirty seconds, so we should hurry. Follow me." Sirius gestured for them to follow and went inside the book store.

It was fairly crowded and he bumped into a few people. His charming smile got him out of any fights, however, and they got to the bathroom with five seconds to spare. He opened the door and hurried Harry and Snape inside. He grabbed a dirty styrofoam cup that looked to have just missed the trashcan and thrust it at the others.

Harry's eyes were curious, but he didn't ask any questions as he followed his mentor's lead and touched the cup. Without warning, something invisible hooked his guts from the inside and yanked him hard. The world melted away and he opened his mouth to scream, but he had no mouth or lungs to scream with. Panic began to set in, but before Boy could come roaring Out, he landed with a hard thud on dirt and grass.

Sirius laughed hard at his godson's clumsy landing, but Severus' more observant eyes caught the faint signs of distress. He knelt by the child and calmed him with his presence and his soothing words, reminding him to breathe and center himself. 

Harry smiled with trembling lips, gratitude bright in his eyes.

"Are you well?" Severus asked.

Harry took his hand and got to his feet. "Yes. Thank you."

"Reinforce your barriers. Occlude,” he reminded sternly and the boy nodded before doing just that.

When Harry was steady again, he looked around and saw he was standing on what looked like a moor. The mist was hanging thick along the ground and carried a faint chill with it despite it being late August. He was glad for his jacket. Sirius was talking to two men. One was wearing a tweed suit and galoshes and the other was wearing a kilt and a poncho. They looked very strange.

Sirius turned and gestured for him to come over, so Harry did. The man looked at his face and matched it with the one on his parchment next to the name Owen Cauldwell. The man nodded and called for Severus' ticket and name. Severus handed them both over and they were waved on.

Sirius grinned down at his godson. Somehow it still looked like his trademark grin even in a different face. "Wait until you see this. You're gonna love it."

Harry smiled back, excitement beginning to build in him. Severus followed a few feet behind them. They came to a cabin and a man stood there with a blank expression. He took their name and money and handed them a map in return. Harry had never been camping before. The Dursleys had never taken him, of course; instead leaving him with Mrs. Figg. Tents came into view as the mist thinned and wizards of all races could be seen. Harry stared with an open mouth and even wider eyes.

One tent he saw looked to have been made out of the night sky. The stars even gave off faint light. As he watched, the sky rippled and an oriental woman stepped out. She saw his awestruck look and smiled, bowing at him. He copied her bow and hurried after Sirius. With every step they took, the noise seemed to rise exponentially. People were laughing and yelling. Kids were screaming playfully and some were crying. Two boys raced by on miniature brooms that hovered a foot off the ground. A fat man chased after them with a red face and a fist shaking in the air.

Harry didn't know where to look, there were so many extraordinary things to see. Eventually, they approached the woods. They walked up a gentle incline and found a small empty lot with a sign that had the name Cauldwell on it. Sirius dropped his pack and stretched. Harry, meanwhile, was staring at the tent next door. It looked like an igloo and there were penguins tied to the front. He couldn't see any people around it, though.

"Give me a hand, Owen." Sirius called and Harry hurried over to him, helping him unpack the circular tent. 

It looked fairly normal. It was dark blue and had a zipper front and was made out of the stretchy, rain-proof material of a normal muggle tent. 

Sirius grinned. "Well, go in."

Harry ducked in and his mouth fell open. He was standing in a living room. The floor was carpeted and the walls had pictures hanging on them. There was a couch and a fireplace. A full kitchen stood in the back and there were three closed doors. Sirius excitedly showed him that they opened up into two comfortable bedrooms and a bathroom.

Sirius laughed at his godson's expression and ruffled his hair. "Magic, Harry. Never forget you're a wizard."

Harry was too shocked to scold him for it. "Where did you get this?"

"Omi." Sirius shrugged. "Come on. I want to show you something else."

He led the boy back outside. There was chanting coming from the right somewhere. It sounded like the Irish were getting psyched for the game. Harry grimaced. Thousands of people, most riding on very high emotions, pressed against him. He was a bit nervous that his mental barriers would buckle. Needing reassurance, he looked around for Severus, but his mentor was nowhere in sight.

"Don't worry about him,” Sirius answered when Harry asked him. "He's probably skulking around. He's not too far away, that's for sure. Now let's go."

"Alright." Harry took his godfather's hand and followed him around the edge of the wood. 

He kept his eye out for Severus, but he never caught sight of him, which Harry thought was odd. Most everyone was wearing bright colors and Severus was wearing black slacks and a black button-down, long-sleeved shirt. Surely, he'd stand out, but he didn't.

"Look." Sirius pointed, drawing Harry's attention.

"The Weasleys!" Harry smiled brightly. 

The redheaded family was sitting around a fire eating what looked like eggs and sausages. He could see Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny sitting on one side, two redheaded men and Percy sat on the other, and Mr. Weasley sat between them smiling happily and talking away to anyone who would listen.

"Hold on there." Sirius pulled Harry back toward the woods. "You have to remember you're Owen Cauldwell and I'm your father Robert. I'm a wizard and I own a Wizarding Inn in Sussex. Your mother, Melissa, works with me and her maiden name was Haven." Sirius laughed at Harry's bewildered expression. "I'll try not to let you be questioned, but we have to make sure our story is straight. You can tell your friends, of course, who you really are, but don't be too loud about it, alright? Remember you'll be starting your First Year at Hogwarts come September."

Harry nodded. "Okay."

"Let's get the show started, then, shall we?" Sirius grinned and led the way down to the Weasley camp.

Sirius greeted Mr. Weasley and captured his attention and Percy's. The older sons listened politely, but their eyes followed the eleven-year-old that drifted over to Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny. Sirius explained who he was and was asking questions about Hogwarts since his son would be starting there soon. Harry waited to make sure no one would ask him anything and turned to his friends with a smile. Neville's eyes lit up in recognition, but he didn't say anything, waiting to see how Harry wanted this to go.

“Hello," Harry said.

“Hi," Neville answered. "Are you excited about the game?"

"I am." Harry nodded and laughed. "It's me, Ron, Hermione."

The two shared a look of suspicion. "Do we know you?" Ron frowned.

"Well, I'm pretending to be Owen Cauldwell. He'll be starting Hogwarts in September,” he answered.

"Harry?" Ginny blushed deeply, her blue eyes were fascinated.

He smiled. "Yes."

"Hey, Harry." Neville stood and pulled him into a brief hug.

"Harry?" Hermione stood nervously.

"How are you, mate? Is that really Padfoot then?" Ron hugged the eleven-year-old.

"Yeah, but don't tell. We'd get in loads of trouble,” Harry warned seriously.

"We won't say anything,” Hermione promised. "I'm really sorry, Harry. I won't ever betray you again. I might make recommendations and advise you to do things you may not like, but I can't force you or take away your choices. That's wrong."

"Thank you, Hermione, and I understand. I'm just glad we can be friends again." Harry hugged her. The bushy-haired girl teared up and hugged him back fiercely.

"You were my first friend and I was so upset when I thought I lost you,” she cried.

"Well, you haven’t," Harry assured her.

"Who's this then?" George asked, coming up to them. Fred came up on Harry's other side and hugged him with one arm. "Is this our favorite Fourth Year?"

"It's Harry!" Ginny whispered loudly to them, her eyes bright with excitement. "He's hiding."

"We can see that, dear sister." George smiled and hugged her. "Keep it down, Gin. You don't want to get them caught."

Ginny blushed and looked over to see Bill watching them suspiciously. "Sorry."

"It's alright,” Harry assured.

"Guess what we've…" Fred began.

"…discovered. A betting ring and…"

"… we've placed all our savings on risky…"

"… odds. But we have a feeling that we'll be…"

"…very lucky. Especially since our good…"

"…luck charm has arrived,” George finished.

"Me?" Harry blushed. "I'm not lucky."

"Yes, you are,” Fred argued and released him. "We've bet that…"

"Ireland will win, but that Krum…"

"…will catch the snitch. So keep your…"

"…fingers crossed for us."

"You better not let mum find out,” Ron warned with a grin. "She'd skin you."

"Honestly." Hermione sniffed and crossed her arms. "Don't you know how bad gambling is?"

"Not now, Hermione,” Ron groaned. "Let's go buy souvenirs."

"I don't know if I can." Harry smiled. "Let me go ask." He walked over to Sirius and tugged on his godfather's sleeve. Blue eyes turned to look down at him happily. "Can I go with Ron and the others to get souvenirs?"

"Sure, kid." Sirius ruffled his hair. "Here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of gold coins. "Spend it all, okay?"

"Are you sure?" Harry gasped.

Sirius winked and pushed him back toward his friends. "Go on. Be back within the hour."

"Thanks!"

"No problem."

Harry ran to his friends and showed them the money and the order that came with it. Ron looked excited and soon his enthusiasm trickled down to Hermione and Neville. Ginny was furious when Bill said she couldn't go with them, but she was appeased when he and Charlie invited her to go with them. 

Ron caught Harry's hand and began dragging him off. "…and there are these hats that light up and whistle, too!" he was explaining.

Harry laughed and looked over at Neville helplessly. The shy Gryffindor only shrugged while Hermione shook her head with a smile. Soon they stood in the middle of booths and stalls. Salesmen cried out their prices and described their wares. Ron ran over to a booth with glowing rosettes – green for Ireland and red for Bulgaria – which were singing the names for the players. Hermione laughed and pointed at a stand that had hats with dancing shamrocks on them. Neville liked the Bulgarian scarves. They had lions on them that literally roared.

"Been saving my pocket money all year for this,” Ron told Harry as he purchased a small figurine of Krum that walked backward and forward over Ron's hand and scowled.

"We know." Harry laughed. "Do you see anything you want, Hermione?"

Neville was happy with just a scarf and Ron was now wearing a green rosette and a dancing shamrock hat as well as carrying his miniature Krum. Hermione's attention was caught by a smaller booth and she nodded, waving the others over. 

"Look at these!" she said excitedly. "Can you believe the spells it takes to make these work? It's very complicated and ingenious, really."

“Omniocluars," the sales-witch said eagerly, greed in her eyes. "You can replay actions… slow everything down… and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. You just have to make sure they're turned on and recording while always pointing at the match so they catch it all. Bargain price – only ten Galleons each."

"Those are bloody awesome!" Ron said longingly.

Harry smiled. "I'll take four."

"Thanks, mate!" Ron cried, hugging him tight.

"Make sure you capture everything, okay, Hermione?" Harry asked when she looked about to protest. "I want to give it to Owen since he couldn't really be here and I'm not sure I'll do it right."

"Oh, of course, Har… I mean, Owen." She smiled and took her pair. "I'll get everything perfect."

Harry smiled while Neville and Ron laughed. 

Hermione blushed and shoved Ron in the arm, telling him to shut up. 

"I'll get us some programs." Neville grinned and went to the next both over. He came back with four and passed them around to a chorus of “thank you”s. 

Realizing their hour was up, they began walking back to the tents. Ron talking about the match and the players, and Hermione and Neville occasionally slipping their own observations in. Bill, Charlie, and Ginny got to the tent just before they did, and they were all wearing green roses. Bill gave his father an Irish flag and the red-haired man took it excitedly. Fred and George had spent all their money gambling and had no souvenirs. Harry frowned at that, but Sirius took him by the hand and said goodbye before he could do anything about it. He quickly waved to his friends and the three waved back. Fred and George winked, happy and carefree. 

His worry eased and he trotted after his godfather. They were about halfway back to their own tent when a deep, booming gong sounded somewhere beyond the woods, and at once, green and red lanterns blazed into life in the trees, lighting a path to the field. 

"It's time!" Sirius shouted in glee. He looked as excited as Ron. "Come on, let's go!"

Harry dashed after his godfather, following the lantern-lit trail. They could hear the sounds of thousands of people moving around them, shouts and laughter, snatches of singing. The atmosphere of feverish excitement was powerful and Harry found himself staggering with nausea burning the back of his throat and a headache behind his eyes. Sirius turned, worried, but before he could reach the gasping child, a shadow broke away from the trees and knelt by him. Harry stared into his mentor's black eyes and slowly the pressure drained away.

"I can shield you as long as you stay close,” Severus murmured.

"I will,” Harry promised. "Thank you."

The dark-haired man waved it away and sneered as Black finally made it back to them. The two men walked on either side of the boy and made their way toward the arena. They walked for a good twenty minutes until they emerged on the other side and found themselves in the shadow of a gigantic stadium. Though Harry could see only a fraction of the immense gold walls surrounding the field, he could tell that ten cathedrals would fit comfortably inside it.

"Seats a hundred thousand,” Sirius boasted. "Pretty impressive, huh?"

"A Ministry task force of five hundred has been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms cover every inch." Severus added. "There will be double that acting as security during the match."

"Why so many?" Harry asked, awed.

"The fans tend to go crazy,” Sirius admitted. "Mobs can form and damage can be done. People can be trampled to death accidentally if that happens."

"Don't worry,” Severus said softly, seeing the fear rising in the child's expressive eyes.

"Prime seats!" the Ministry witch at the entrance said when she checked their tickets. "Top Box! Straight up stairs, Mr. Cauldwell, Master Snape. Go as high as you can."

Harry smiled at her as he passed and she pat his head. He found himself ignoring that as he stared at the never ending staircase before him. Sirius laughed at him and Severus waited patiently for him to begin. Taking a deep breath, he began to climb. The crowd that was climbing with them slowly filtered away through the doors to the left and right as they reached their designated seats.

They kept climbing and just when Harry was about to call a break to catch his breath, Sirius pointed out that they had finally reached the top. Harry looked around the small box curiously. It was at the highest point of the stadium and situated exactly halfway between the two golden goal posts. About twenty purple-and-gilt chairs stood in two rows.

He smiled when he saw all six Weasleys and his two classmates sitting in the front row. They waved at him happily and he returned the gesture. The back row was mostly empty. At one side, behind Ron, Hermione, and Neville sat a house-elf who looked terrified with her long, spidery hands trembling as they hid her face. Sirius, Harry, and Severus walked behind her seat and made their way to the other end of the row, taking the last three chairs there. Harry sat between the two men, Severus at the very end, and finally looked out onto the Quidditch pitch.

A hundred thousand witches and wizards were filling in the seats that rose in levels around the long oval field. Everything was suffused in a gentle golden light, which seemed to come from the stadium itself. The grass looked smooth as velvet from Harry's height, and the fifty foot high goal posts looked made of marble. Right across the way from the box Harry was sitting in, was a huge blackboard. Gold writing kept dashing across it as though an invisible giant's hand were scrawling upon it before wiping it off again. Harry saw that they were advertisements.

"A display from the team mascots will precede the match,” George said, turning around to face them.

"That's always worth watching,” Fred agreed with a grin.

"National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show,” George continued and smirked mischievously with his twin.

"What kinds of creatures live in Bulgaria and Ireland?" Harry asked.

"Well, I'm guessing…" Fred tapped his chin.

"…leprechauns for Ireland and maybe…"

"…dragons from Bulgaria." George grinned wolfishly.

"Real dragons?" Harry's eyes went wide. "They can tame them?"

"Not really." Fred laughed. "So you might…"

"…want to keep your head down."

"Oh, hello, Professor." George gave a half-bow.

"I didn't see you sitting there."

"Trying to pick up tips for your Slytherins?"

"It won't do you much good. We've got Harry Potter and…" Fred winked at the Owen imposture.

"…you'll never find a Seeker to beat him." George smiled sweetly and turned around when his brother tapped his thigh.

The Minister of Magic and the Bulgarian minister arrived and took the two seats in the middle of Harry's row. The foreign minister was wearing splendid robes of black velvet trimmed with gold and didn't seem to understand a word of English and stared blankly at Fudge as he introduced all the Weasleys and the Hogwart's students.

When he got no reaction, he sighed and said to Mr. Weasley, "I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat… Good job, too, these Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places… ah, and here's Lucius!"

Harry peered around and watched as Ron and Hermione scowled as the three blondes went behind them to the second row. Lucius sat by Fudge and Narcissa sat at his side, forcing Draco to sit next to her and the house-elf, whom he sniffed at with absolute disgust. 

He turned to his mother and said in a rather carrying whisper, "At least it is better than being seated next to rabble in the first row, Mother." 

Ron turned red, but Hermione and Neville managed to keep him in his seat.

"Ah, Fudge." Lucius smiled winningly. "How are you? I don't think you've met my wife and son?"

"How do you do, how do you do?" Fudge smiled and wiped at his sweating head as he shook the aristocrat's hand. "And allow me to introduce you to Oblansk – Obalonsk – Mr. – well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway, so never mind."

Now every seat was filled, save two. One was being saved for Mr. Crouch by the house-elf and the other was on the other side of the Bulgarian Minister between him and Sirius. Suddenly, a man wearing bright yellow and black robes burst into the box. His round face was red and sweaty, but he was smiling like a child who was staring at Christmas.

"Everyone ready?" he asked excitedly. "Minister – ready to go?"

Fudge smiled. "Ready when you are, Ludo."

Ludo whipped out his wand, directed it at his own throat and said "Sonorous". When he next spoke, his voice was a roar, filling the packed stadium; his voice echoed over everyone, booming into every corner of the stands. "Ladies and gentlemen… Welcome! Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The spectators screamed and clapped. Thousands of flags waved, adding their discordant national anthems to the racket. The advertising blackboard was cleared and transformed into a scoreboard that read: BULGARIA: 0, IRELAND: 0.

"And now, without further ado, allow me to introduce… the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!"

The right-hand side of the stands, which was a solid block of scarlet, roared its approval. Suddenly, a hundred veela glided out onto the field. Harry looked through his Omniocluars and saw women… the most beautiful women he had ever seen, except they didn't look completely human. Their skin was white and glowed moon-bright. Their hair was white gold and fanned out behind them without wind. He was about to ask Severus about them, but he was stopped when they began to sing.

The music was enchanting and captivating. The melody was so fluid that Harry would never be able to reproduce it or even remember what notes were used once it stopped. He was even more amazed when the beautiful creatures began to dance. They swirled and undulated like untamable waves. His attention was pulled from the show, however, when he noticed Sirius had gotten up from his seat and was walking as if in a daze toward the edge of the box. Ron and the twins were already there. Neville looked over at him and shrugged in confusion while Hermione grabbed Ron and futilely tried pulling him back to his seat.

"What's happening?" Harry asked.

"They have fallen under the Veela's spell,” Severus answered evenly. "All men are susceptible, but the strong willed can refuse. You and I are Occluding and that is protecting us from their influence. Though, I doubt you would have succumbed in any case."

"Will they be alright?" Harry bit his lip.

"Of course. Watch."

Harry turned to look and sure enough everyone was returning to their seats with very embarrassed blushes. Harry sighed in relief and flashed a proud smile at Neville who hadn't allowed himself to be enchanted. The Gryffindor blushed but smiled back happily. Hermione was busy scolding Ron, and the twins were laughing at their younger brother.

"And now," roared Ludo Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air… for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

A great green-and-gold comet zoomed into the stadium. It did one circuit and then split into two smaller comets, each hurtling toward the goal posts. A rainbow arced suddenly across the field, connecting the two balls of light. The crowed ooohed and aaahed. When the rainbow faded and the balls of light rocketed toward each other and met in the middle. They formed a great shimmering shamrock, which rose up into the sky and began to soar around the stands. Something like golden rain seemed to be falling from it.

"Excellent!" Ron yelled and grabbed fistfuls of the golden coins raining down on them.

Harry looked up and squinted. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that the shamrock was made up of thousands of tiny little bearded men with red vets, each carrying a tiny lamp of gold or green.

"Leprechauns!" the twin cried in unison. "We were right!"

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome – the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team!" Ludo screamed over the cheering crowd.

Seven scarlet players shot onto the field and everyone's eyes were on the eighteen-year-old seeker, Krum. It took several minutes for the stadium to quiet enough for Ludo to introduce the other team.

"And now, please greet – the Irish National Quidditch Team!"

Seven green blurs swept onto the field. Harry smiled as his godfather pointed out they were all riding Firebolts like the one he had gotten for Christmas.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee, acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa!"

A small skinny wizard, completely bald but with a mustache to rival Uncle Vernon's, wearing robes of pure gold to match the stadium, strode out onto the field. A silver whistle was protruding from under the mustache and he was carrying a large wooden create under one arm. Harry spun the speed dial on his Omnioculars back to normal, watching closely as Mostafa mounted his broomstick and kicked the crate open – four balls burst into the air: the scarlet Quaffle, the two black Bludgers, and the tiny Golden Snitch. With a sharp blast on his whistle, Mostafa shot into the air after the balls.

"Theeeeeeey're OFF!" Bagman screamed, and the World Cup game began.

**Chapter end.**


	30. Quidditch, Chaos, and Punishments

**Quidditch, Chaos, and Punishments**

Harry had a death grip on Severus' hand. The tension and excitement in the stadium were almost tangible. He already had a nosebleed and would have fainted if it weren't for the skin to skin contact with his teacher. Physical touch allowed a temporary connection to form between them. Harry was as safe as he could be in this situation, now hiding behind two Occlumency shields.

"He's got it – Krum's got the Snitch – it's all over!" Harry screamed in delight, jumping to his feet and pointing at the rising Bulgarian Seeker.

Krum, his red robes shining with blood from his nose, was rising gently into the air, his fist held high, a glint of gold in his hand. The scoreboard was flashing BULGARIA: 160, IRELAND: 170. Slowly, as though a great jet was revving up, the screams of the Ireland supporters grew louder and louder.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman bellowed.

Chaos ensued. The leprechauns were flying everywhere, and people were screaming and throwing things in the air. The twins leapt over their seats and landed in front of Ludo with identical Cheshire grins. The Bulgarian Minister said with mild disappointment that at least Krum ended it on his own terms, explaining to an ecstatic Sirius that the Ireland chasers were too good for them to ever catch up.

Fudge was sputtering in shock that the foreign minister could speak and understand English. Ron, Neville, and Hermione came up to Harry and all shouted happily and excitedly about three different things. Harry felt dizzy and happy, his head was pounding, but he cheered with his friends. It really was an incredible game to watch. He'd never forget it. Krum was an awesome Seeker!

Suddenly, the Top Box became crowded as the two teams appeared, as well as two unrecognizable wizards carrying the World Cup Trophy to hand over to the Ireland. Krum looked a real mess; two black eyes were blooming spectacularly on his bloody face, but he was still holding the Snitch. Harry noticed he seemed much less coordinated on the ground. He was slightly duck-footed and distinctly round-shouldered. When Krum's name was announced, the whole stadium gave him a resounding, earsplitting roar.

Harry, now holding on to both Severus and Sirius to prevent them from getting separated, was swept up in the celebrating crowd. The Weasleys disappeared and he hoped they were going to have a good time. He was kind of glad he was being hustled back to their tent. He needed space and a break from the pressing emotions, and he wouldn't mind watching the game again in more detail with his Omnioculars.

Raucous singing was borne toward them on the night air as they retraced their steps along the lantern-lit path. Leprechauns kept shooting over their heads, cackling and waving their lanterns. It took a good hour to reach the tent and, enveloped in sudden silence, Harry and Severus realized that the song Sirius had been bellowing was the Ireland anthem.

"Can you believe that?" he asked, spinning Harry around. Severus sneered and went to the kitchen. "That hardly ever happens! Catching the Snitch and losing the game! Merlin, the Irish team can fly, can't they?"

"It was great!" Harry agreed. "Did you see Krum do the Wronski Feint?"

"And Aidan Lynch went splat on the ground _twice_! He had to be carried to the Cup and rode double with the Captain during the victory lap!" Sirius reenacted the whole thing with wide arm gestures and an excited voice.

"That was horrible!" Harry agreed, but his enthusiasm was cut short as he felt a soft internal pop before the pressure pressing at him faded completely.

He gasped in relief, his legs almost going weak as he realized just how much pain he had been in until that moment. He reflexively opened his senses to his empathy and could only sense Sirius and Severus. Sirius was still bubbling with enthusiasm and a fading adrenaline rush, ignorant to the change in his godson or the magic surrounding the tent. Severus was exuding deep satisfaction and fatigue.

"What was that?" he asked, looking toward his mentor as he re-entered the living room.

"I put up an isolation ward. It will go unnoticed amidst all that chaos,” he explained with a contemptuous flick toward the outside of the tent.

Harry ran up and hugged him. "Thank you! I feel _much_ better."

"Do you think he'll be okay at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, frowning as he really looked at his godson.

Severus sat heavily on the couch. "He'll be fine. Emotions won't run nearly as strong, and if he gets overtired, Silas can always come Out. It is only Harry who is empathic."

"I'll make tea!" Harry smiled and happily ran to the kitchen.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas silently ducked through the tent flap and softly, slowly shut it behind him. Severus had been sleeping on the couch and it had taken all his skill to sneak past the man without alerting him. He smirked and admitted to himself that it was fun.

**And you think I'm too reckless,** Gabriel snorted. **I think that was more dangerous than anything I've ever attempted. Why are we even leaving?**

**I told you. This is a great opportunity for us to get a feel for what's been going on while we've been secluded at the house,** Silas answered as he padded across the field.

Though most people had returned to their beds, there were still parties going on. He could hear drunken cheers and off-key singing. One tent he passed was shaking with the telltale sounds of an orgy. He sneered in disgust and continued on. He was looking for something specific; a place where he could blend into the crowd where the people were too drunk to question an eleven-year-old's arrival, but sober enough that their information could be trusted.

He found what he was looking for fifteen minutes away from his camp site. Five young men, all under the age of thirty, and two women, all under the age of twenty-five, stood around a purple fire that hovered about four feet in the air and was burning nothing. Music could be heard when he got within ten feet of the fire and one couple was dancing. The others were laughing and drinking.

“Krum's so awesome!" one of the men cheered.

A woman grinned. "And hot!"

"He's the first in like a hundred years to be so good that they were recruited while still in school!" the man continued. "He still attends Durmstrang and he'll be starting his last year there. Can you imagine? Being paid to play professional Quidditch when you're still a Sixth-year? The team had to practice on the school grounds and he got excused when he had to go play games. I bet he's the most popular boy in school."

"That's a tough-ass school, too. They don't play nice. I hear they literally beat the kids for minor infractions. It's not like Hogwarts, that's for sure."

"Why would their parents let them attend such a place?"

"You know Purebloods,” the man spat. "They think they are miniature gods, and in their infinite wisdom believe their children need to be toughened up. No mistakes are ever allowed or they will shame their holy Pureblood names."

"Sink or swim, huh?" The girl shook her head and then grinned. "Well, I'd love to teach Krum about gentleness and love."

The man pushed her playfully. "I'm sure you would!"

"Still, even if the parents are willing to let their kids be abused, who would run such a place?"

"Didn't you know? The ex-Death Eater Igor Karkaroff is the Headmaster. Who better but a monster to run such a place?"

"To be fair…” The man who had been dancing weaved over to them and joined the conversation. "The school produces very competent and knowledgeable witches and wizards. They don't ever crumble under pressure and they are very successful and powerful."

"And Dark,” another man grumbled. "Durmstrang shouldn't be able to teach Dark Magic."

"How better to learn how to defend against it? Ignorance isn't always bliss, Miles.”

"Okay. This is supposed to be a party. Cut it out and have some fun, why don't you?"

The others agreed and Silas slipped away, certain he wouldn't get any more useful information from them.

**Sounds like a real hospitable place,** Gabriel said grimly.

**Durmstrang sounds tough, but it produced a seventeen year old who can play professional Quidditch successfully.**

Gabriel frowned. **Don't tell me you're all for tough love.**

**I'm not,** Silas agreed. **But we don't know how much of what we heard was exaggeration, so don't be so quick to condemn. Hogwarts has its flaws as well. It is a little lax for my tastes and the teaching program is slow.**

**Only you would think so.**

**You think so, too. You removed the History teacher for incompetence, did you not? And you always complain that the Defense Program is lacking,** Silas pointed out.

**True.** Gabriel laughed. **But I can make do without beatings for minor infractions. Think they whip you if you're tardy?**

**As long as the punishments are only dolled out for things that you are warned against ahead of time, you could safely maneuver within them,** Silas said thoughtfully.

He walked around some more, but he didn't find another group as coherent. Everyone else was way too drunk to make sense out of or was talking about things that didn't interest Silas in the least. With a sigh, he turned to the woods and planned to make his way through them until he returned to the camp section his tent was pitched in. He was halfway there when he heard an argument off deeper in the woods. Silas crept closer and found himself staring at Ludo Bagman. The man looked desperate and not at all like his jolly self from that afternoon.

"Please! I must get an early portkey!" he pleaded with the tired Ministry Official.

The man sighed. "I'm sorry. You know the rules. We can't have people taking their revelries elsewhere and possibly hurting others in the community or running amok among Muggles. Not even for you can I possibly activate a portkey early. It will be traced back to me and I will not have that."

"You don't understand! It's an emergency!" Bagman practically begged.

"What did you do, Ludo?" the man snapped angrily. "Is this to do with your gambling problem?"

"The odds of Ireland winning and Krum catching the Snitch were impossible!" Bagman pleaded. "How was I to know that it would actually happen?"

The man was unimpressed. "Who do you owe?"

"Not so many, but that just means I have to give them that much more each." He sighed and slumped. "I handed out fool's gold to get them off my back. They'll find out soon, please! I have to get away!"

"You should have thought of that before." The man shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ludo, but I can't help you. Why don't you start walking? In a few hours, you should break free of the anti-apparation ward."

"Please, Barty…"

"No." The man turned and walked away toward the camp.

Silas' gaze had been indifferent, but upon hearing the man's name they sharpened. Stealthily, he stalked after the man and followed him back into camp. Once he was almost seen, but Silas managed to duck behind a dancing couple just in time. They made a meandering path back toward the area where Sirius had pitched their tent. Crouch stopped a few times to sharply reprimand others for being too loud or displaying magic too blatantly. Personally, Silas thought it was way too late for that.

The dark-haired and mustached man was just entering a large square tent when there was the sound of something like a gun going off in the distance. Over the singing and loud conversations nearby, Silas could hear the sounds of screams. Crouch froze and dove into the tent. Silas cursed as he was pushed aside and returned to the soul chamber as Gabriel took his place.

"Sorry, Sy. But I have to warn the Weasleys and make sure Neville is alright."

**I could have done that.**

"Yeah, right." Gabriel smiled briefly before his whole face became a mask of concentration as he tried to remember which way the Weasley tent was. "You would have gone straight to Severus to get us out of here."

Silas didn't answer that accusation, but he did give Gabriel directions. The Gryffindor was surprised and said so.

**If you're going to do this, we might as well get it done quickly,** Silas grumbled. 

In all honesty, the Slytherin had realized something important. That by opening himself up to his annoying Gryffindor counterpart, he had promised to support Gabriel as well as accepting support from him. It was a bitch, but it was too late now to stop.

Gabriel raced through the camp and yelled warnings as he went that everyone should get to the woods for cover. The sounds of gunfire was now accompanied by sharp flashes of color, and he could just make out a black-robed group making their way through the camp with something floating and twisting above them. Gabriel had a grim feeling that the shapes were people and they were being tortured. He reached the Weasley tents just when Neville, Ron, and Hermione came running out.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, the first to spot him. "You look like you!"

The Polyjuice must have worn off. Neville turned to look at him and relief spread across his face. Ron glanced at him briefly, but he quickly returned his gaze back toward the ominous figures. They were closer now and their toys were clearly people. The pain-filled shrieks and sobs from the Muggle family could just be heard over the panic of the camp. The black-robed figures were laughing and taunting as they destroyed the tents in their path, blasting them away and setting them on fire. Gabriel winced, hoping no one was still inside of them. The fires began to spread and the screams of those fleeing were growing louder.

Gabriel opened his mouth to shout orders to get his friends to safety when Ginny and the twins came rushing over with Mr. Weasley on their heels. Bill, Charley, and Percy emerged as well. They were fully dressed, as was their father, but the younger Weasleys and Harry's classmates were still in their nightgowns or pajamas. Gabriel shook his head at the older men. The older men shouldn't have stopped to dress at all.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley shouted, only briefly hesitating over seeing Harry Potter with his children. "You lot – get into the woods and _stick together_. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!"

The older boys were already sprinting away toward the group of attackers and Mr. Weasley tore after them. Neville was breathing hard and his eyes were bright, but he seemed focused enough, Gabriel evaluated. Hermione was sobbing and was pale with fear. Ron looked to be in shock. He kept muttering over and over "That's sick" as he watched one of the children captured being spun like a top until she was vomiting and choking on it.

"Move it!" Gabriel shouted at them, pushing Hermione and Ron backward.

The twins jumped at his shout and grabbed Ginny's hand before helping Gabriel get the others into the woods to hide. They were immediately engulfed by a panicking crowd and separated. Gabriel growled in annoyance and pushed his way to the front of his three friends and grabbed Hermione's hand.

"Hold on to Ron!" he ordered. "Ron, grab Neville!"

They did as he told them without question, and Gabriel veered away from the mob. They continued until the sound died down a bit and they could talk without shouting to be heard. He was about to stop when Hermione yanked hard on his hand and there was the sound of someone falling hard. Gabriel's wand, already in his hand since they entered the woods, lit up to show Ron sprawled on the ground.

"What happened?" Hermione demanded.

"Tripped over a tree root,” Ron answered angrily, getting to his feet again.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to,” a voice drifted to them from behind.

Gabriel spun and his body instantly fell into a defensive stance that would make use of both his body and his wand. The change in his position allowed the light from his wand to spill over onto Draco Malfoy. He was standing alone, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed in a way that reminded Gabriel of Silas. He seemed to have been watching the scene at the camp through a gap in the trees.

"Filthy Death Eater!" Ron sputtered furiously.

"Careful, Weasley." Malfoy crossed his arms lazily, his pale eyes glittering with an unknown emotion. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like _her_ spotted, would you?" He nodded toward Hermione and, at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the camp and a flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.

Gabriel tensed and wordlessly cast a barrier large enough to cover all of them, even Malfoy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione glared defiantly.

"Granger, they're after _Muggles,_ ” Draco drawled. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in midair? Because if you do, hang around… They're moving this way and it would give us all a laugh."

"Hermione's a witch!" Ron snarled, his hands fisting at his sides.

"Have it your own way, Weasley." Draco grinned maliciously. "If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

**Malfoy's trying to warn you,** Silas offered. **Trust me. He won't shoot at your back. You can go.**

"You watch your mouth!" Ron screamed.

"Never mind, Ron." Gabriel lowered his wand, but he didn't stop shielding in the direction of the camp. "Let's go further in and away from the attackers."

He turned his back on Draco and grabbed Ron's arm, preventing him from stepping forward and attacking the blond. There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard at that point. Several new screams were added to the whole and Hermione began to cry again.

"Scare easily, don't they?" Draco laughed softly, but even to Gabriel's ears it sounded hollow. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide, Weasley? What's he up to – trying to rescue the Muggles?"

"Where's _your_ parents?" Ron demanded, tugging at Gabriel's hand as he tried to lunge at Malfoy. "Out there wearing masks, are they?"

"Well… if they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I?" He smiled and waved them on.

"Oh come on. Let's go find the others,” Hermione said with disgust, her tears under control again as anger took over. She came and helped pull Ron deeper into the woods. Neville followed nervously.

"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger,” Malfoy called after them.

"Come _on,_ ” Gabriel hissed in Ron's ear and the honest anger there made the redhead stop fighting and come along willingly.

"I'll bet you anything his dad is one of that masked lot!" Ron said hotly.

"Well, with any luck, the Ministry will catch him!" Hermione said fervently. “Oh, I can't believe this. Where have the others got to?"

Gabriel found a small clearing and had his friends stop. He made sure they were all okay and told them to sit tight. Hermione pitched a fit when he explained he was returning to help as much as he could. Ron wanted to come with him and Hermione began yelling at him instead of Gabriel. With her distracted, he turned and whispered to Neville to be prepared to shield if trouble should approach and the brunet nodded. He was pale, but his hands were steady.

Gabriel nodded in return and began making his way back when he heard a rustling to the right. He froze and aimed his wand. His friends fell silent. The house-elf that had been saving Crouch's seat at the arena came fighting her way out of a clump of bushes nearby. She was moving in a most peculiar fashion, apparently with great difficulty; it was a though someone invisible were trying to hold her back.

"There is bad wizards about!" she squeaked distractedly as she leaned forward and labored to keep running. "People high – high in the air! Winky is getting out of the way!"

**Follow her!** Silas said urgently.

Gabriel watched the elf disappear in the woods and hesitated. He wanted to go back to camp, but Silas… With a curse, he dove after the elf and, as silently as he could, stalked her through the forest. It wasn't hard. She continued to talk to herself and whatever she was struggling against made her noisy. He ignored Hermione screaming after him and Ron's cursing.

He was beginning to contemplate leaving this stupid chase when Winky's struggles increased and all of a sudden a deep voice called out, "MORSMORDRE!" 

Gabriel dropped to the ground in crouch as green light exploded from where Winky had been standing. He heard a scream not too far away and recognized it as Hermione. He jumped to his feet and cast a stunner. It arched out in a wide crescent and downed the elf. He heard a second body fall, the source of that last spell. Satisfied, he threw up a shield over his back just in case and ran toward where he had heard Hermione scream.

"Harry!" she gasped when he appeared; she was crying again. Neville was staring in horror at the sky and Ron looked shaken but confused. "Oh, Harry! We have to go!"

Gabriel looked to the sky and knew what had caused her hysteria and Neville's fear. The Dark Mark floated in the sky. It was shaped like a skull with a long sensuous snake winding out of the mouth. It was large enough to light up the whole wood with faint green light. He spun around to face the way he had come, now knowing whoever he had stunned was a bigger threat than he had previously thought.

"Harry, come _on_! It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione moaned, pulling at him as hard as he could. Gabriel glared at her and tried to pry off her hand, but she didn't notice. "You-Know-Who's sign!"

"Let go,” he growled and, just as he got free, a series of popping noises announced the arrival of twenty wizards, appearing from thin air, surrounding them. 

Apparation wards were down, then. He sighed in frustration, knowing that whoever he had felled would get away if he didn't hurry, but it didn't look like he'd have a chance to break away. All twenty wands were pointed at him and his friends.

"DUCK!" he yelled and seized Ron and Hermione's arms, pulling them to the ground as he dropped. Neville obeyed without the prompt and fell to the ground instantly.

"STUPEFY!" twenty voices roared.

Gabriel cast a quick reflecting shield to dome over them as a blinding series of flashes erupted above them. He felt the hair on his head ripple as though a powerful wind had swept the clearing and he knew that, had they been standing and hit with so many powerful stunners, their relatively small bodies would have gone into cardiac arrest and they could well have died.

"Stop!" Mr. Weasley's voice cut through the clearing as he ran up. "STOP! _That's my son_!"

The intangible wind stopped and Gabriel raised his head, his eyes flashing with anger. The wizard in front of him lowered his wand and Gabriel stood to see Mr. Weasley striding toward them, looking terrified. The others were still slowly getting to their feet.

"Ron – Harry – Hermione – Neville, are you alright?" his voice sounded shaky.

"No thanks to them." Gabriel glared around. "You could have killed us! Do you often go running about shooting in-mass at unknown suspects? And have you actually taken down the Apparation wards? The culprit is going to get away!"

Mr. Crouch's face went taut with rage. "No one is getting away. Which of you did it?" His sharp eyes darted between the four teens. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"We didn't!" Gabriel snarled. "The one who shouted the spell was over there!" He pointed sharply. "Hurry!"

"Do not lie, sir!" Mr. Crouch shouted. His wand was still pointed directly at Ron and his eyes were popping – he looked slightly mad. "You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!"

Gabriel would have done something drastic at this point, but he noticed that none of the other Ministry wizards apart from Crouch seemed to think it remotely likely that Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Neville had conjured the skull. On the contrary, at Gabriel's words, they had all raised their wands again and were pointing in the direction he had indicated, squinting through the dark trees.

"We're too late,” a stern looking witch said. She was wearing a woolen dressing gown and was shaking her head. "They'll have Disapparated."

"I don't think so,” a wizard with a scrubby brown beard said. From his appearance, Gabriel guessed he was Amos Diggory, the man Ron and the others had come to the World Cup with. "Our Stunners went right through those trees… There's a good chance we got them…"

"Amos, be careful!" a few wizards said warningly as Amos Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, and marched across the clearing. Hermione watched him vanish with her hands over her mouth.

"For god's sake…" Gabriel said in disgust. "Are none of you going with him? It isn't smart to have him go alone. The culprit may not be unconscious."

Two wizards flushed at being reprimanded by a teen and quickly chased after Diggory. A few seconds later, they heard Diggory shout. "Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's – but – blimey…"

"You've got someone?" Crouch shouted, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who? Who is it?"

Diggory reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figure in his arms. 

Gabriel tensed. "There was no one else?" he asked sharply. He was surprised when his question made a suddenly pale Crouch look at him with fevered eyes.

"No one." Diggory shook his head and dropped the elf at Crouch's feet. 

Gabriel sighed. The man must have Disapparated after all.

"You don't seriously think it was the elf?" Mr. Weasley asked quietly. "The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand."

"Yeah and she _had_ a wand."

" _What_?"

Diggory held up a wand and showed it to Mr. Weasley. "Had it in her hand. So that's clause three of the Code of Wand Use broken, for a start. _No non-human creature is permitted to carry or use a wand_."

"T-t-tha-a-t-t's m-m-m-mine,” Neville stuttered.

Gabriel stepped back toward his friend and gripped his shoulder bracingly as everyone in the clearing looked at the shy Gryffindor. He was pleased to feel his friend's trembling ease at his touch.

"Excuse me?" Diggory asked incredulously.

"I m-m-must have d-d-dropped it."

"You dropped it? Is that a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"

"Amos, think who you're talking to!" Mr. Weasley said very angrily. "Is Neville _Longbottom_ likely to conjure the Dark Mark? Think of what they did to his parents!"

"Er – of course not. Sorry… carried away…" Gabriel snorted in contempt, but Diggory recovered quickly and stared hard at the little elf. "Let's find out why she picked it up. Enervate."

Winky opened dazed, big brown eyes. Watched by the now silent wizards, she raised herself shakily into a sitting position. She caught sight of Diggory's feet and slowly, tremulously raised her eyes to stare up into his face; then, more slowly still, she looked up into the sky. Gasping, she looked around the ring of wizards in horror and then burst into terrified sobs.

"Elf!" Diggory said sternly. "Do you know who I am? I'm a member of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures! As you see, elf, the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago and you were discovered moments later, right beneath it! An explanation, if you please!"

"I – I – I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasped, rocking back and forth pathetically. "I is not knowing how, sir!"

"You had Mr. Longbottom's wand. Why did you have such a thing when you know it is illegal?" he demanded hotly.

"I is not doing magic with it, sir!" Winky squealed, tears streaming down the sides of her squashed and bulbous nose. "I is… I is… I is just picking it up! I is not making the Dark Mark, sir, I is not knowing how!"

"It wasn't her!" Hermione shouted. She looked very nervous, speaking up in front of all these Ministry wizards yet determined all the same. "Winky's got a squeaky little voice, and the voice we heard doing the incantation was much deeper!" She looked around at her friends for support. "It didn't sound like Winky, did it?"

“No." Gabriel shook his head. "It definitely didn't sound like an elf. A man, I'd say."

"Yeah, it was a human voice,” Ron added and wrapped an arm around Hermione when it looked like she might fall.

"Well, we'll soon see." Diggory raised his own wand and placed it tip to tip with Neville's. "Prior Incantato!"

Gabriel heard Neville gasp, horrified, as a gigantic serpent-tongued skull erupted from the point where the two wands met, but it was a mere shadow of the green skull high above them; it looked as though it were made of thick gray smoke: the ghost of a spell.

"Deletrius!" Diggory shouted in disgust and turned with savage triumph on Winky. "So…"

"I is not doing it!" she screamed, her eyes rolling with terror.

"Amos," Mr. Weasley said loudly. "Think about it…Precious few wizards know how to do that spell… Where would she have learned it?"

"Perhaps Amos is suggesting that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?" Crouch said with cold anger in every syllable. Gabriel noticed that he had pulled himself together and now seemed impenetrable. "You have now come very close to accusing the two people in this clearing who are least likely to conjure that Mark! Who next, Harry Potter? And I trust you remember the many proofs I have given over a long career that I despise and detest the Dark Arts and those practicing them?"

"Mr. Crouch, I – I never suggested you had anything to do with it!" Amos Diggory muttered, now reddening behind his scrubby brown beard.

"Where exactly did you find Neville's wand?" Mr. Weasley asked the elf kindly and successfully diverted the two men about to come to blows.

"I – I is finding it… finding it there, sir…" she whispered. "There… in the trees, sir…"

"You see?" Mr. Weasley smiled. "Whoever conjured the Mark could have Disapparated right after they'd done it, as soon as we took down the anti-Apparation wards in this area so we could respond to the Mark in force. A clever thing to do, not using their own wand, which could have betrayed them. And Winky here had the misfortune to come across the wand and pick it up and be immediately Stunned."

"But then she'd have been only a few feet away from the real culprit!" Diggory said impatiently. "Elf? Did you see anyone?"

Winky began to tremble worse than ever. Her giant eyes flickered from Diggory to Mr. Weasley to Crouch. Then she gulped and said, "I is seeing no one, sir… no one…"

What followed was a tedious process of watching Crouch punish and sack his elf. Eventually, Mr. Weasley got them away. Hermione was ranting to anyone who would listen about the injustice and horrible slavery of the elves and how she wanted to change it. Neville had his wand back and looked like he didn't want to touch it. Gabriel assured him quietly that it was not tainted and Diggory's spell actually took out the Dark Mark spell completely. Neville nodded shakily and put it away.

Now Gabriel could focus on his problems. One: He looked like Harry Potter again. Two: He had to get away and somehow return to his tent. Mr. Weasley was leading them through the crowd of witches and wizards. It looked like the black-robed attackers had gone and everyone was returning to their tents or what was left of them. When they got to the Weasley's tents, Charlie poked his head out of one of them.

"Dad, what's going on?" he called. "Fred, George, and Ginny got back okay, but the others – "

"I've got them here,” Mr. Weasly said, bending down and entering the tent. "And I have Harry."

"Harry!" 

The older boys all jumped to their feet, even though Bill and Percy were obviously wounded. Bill had a heavily bleeding gash on his arm and Percy had a bloody nose. The twins looked at him solemnly and Gabriel knew he had allies in them. Maybe they could help him escape.

He stayed silent as Mr. Weasley explained that the attackers were indeed Death Eaters, but before they could be arrested the Dark Mark appeared and they all ran. Ron didn't know what Death Eaters were and continued to be confused on why a symbol in the sky would invoke such terror. Gabriel shook his head at his naiveté. Neville was silent as well; he understood the horror. Hermione got to rant some more about house-elf rights, and then Mr. Weasley sent them all to bed.

Gabriel was glad he had been discovered by this particular family. They had not once tried to question him about where he had come from or who he was with. Not yet anyway. They wanted to let him get some rest first, but he didn't plan on being around when everyone woke up. He waited until he was certain everyone was asleep and snuck out. It was a lot easier than he had anticipated.

**xXxXxXx**

It took Gabriel an hour to return to his tent; it was nearly four in the morning. Fatigue weighed on him, but he knew he wouldn't get rest anytime soon. He had to face Severus and Sirius first. He braced himself and then stepped into the tent. Sirius was sitting on the couch, his head hanging in his hands, looking miserable. He was in his natural form as well.

“Hey," Gabriel called softly.

The man's head snapped up and he launched himself across the room, scooping Gabriel up in a tight embrace. "Harry! Oh, Merlin! Don't you dare scare me like that again! What were you thinking? Were you caught? Are you hurt?"

Gabriel wiggled free of his godfather and smiled. "It'll take more than this to beat me. You should know that."

"Snape was so furious." Sirius shook his head and grinned. "Gabe, maybe you should let Silas handle it. I don't think you would walk away alive."

"Oh, and Sy would?" Gabriel huffed, affronted.

Silas smirked. **Let's just say, I'm better at maneuvering. You just crash through problems, and that won't work with Severus.**

Gabriel shook his head with a smile. "Where is he, anyway?"

"Looking for you, of course." Sirius shrugged. "He checks in every hour and a half. He's actually due back any minute." He jumped forward and hugged him again, cracking the teen's back. "I was so worried, kid. I thought I lost you."

"I'm fine,” Gabriel assured him. "Could use a cup of tea, though."

Sirius immediately hurried to the kitchen and Gabriel sighed with relief, settling onto the couch. He hadn't been sitting for a second when the tent flap opened and Severus strode in. He sighed again, tiredly, and got to his feet to face their Professor. No one said anything for a very long minute.

“Explain," Severus whispered coldly.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes in response to the unspoken threat, but before he could say anything he was pulled away and Silas took his place. The Gryffindor pouted with annoyance, but Silas ignored him. He wanted to sooth this problem, not make it worse. Harry needed Severus, and he had grudgingly begun to respect the man again. Even Gabriel had stopped calling him Snape and now referred to him as Severus, so it was in their best interest to appease their mentor and that was a job for Silas.

He offered a half-bow. "Sir. I'm sorry for leaving the tent without informing you or Sirius. There is no excuse for my behavior."

Severus was not impressed. "You left the tent of your own free will?"

"I did. I couldn't sleep and thought I'd walk around a bit before retiring to bed. I was still in my Polyjuiced form and the potion wasn't due to wear off for an hour more. I planned to be back long before then. It was arrogance that led me to believe I'd be safe. I apologize. It won't happen again."

"Why didn't you return when the Death Eaters attacked?" he asked, but he thought he knew the answer.

"Gabriel felt he had to warn as many people as he could, as well as ensure Neville, Granger, and Weasley made it to safety. He escorted them to the woods and then turned to head back to camp when he heard a voice incanting the Dark Mark…." Silas explained everything that followed, hoping it might distract Severus, and waited for their teacher’s next move.

"You put yourself in danger by leaving this tent. It was foolish to leave without either I or Black with you. That stupidity will be addressed as soon as we return home. I have acquired an early portkey that will return us and a few others back to London. It activates at dawn. I'll be back for you and Black then. Take Polyjuice and help the mutt pack up." He turned and stalked from the tent.

Silas sighed and considered letting Harry deal with the manual labor, but he decided against it. Harry wouldn't be able to deal with the lingering fear in the camp and he didn't want him to suffer needlessly, so instead he fell back and pulled Gabriel into place. The Gryffindor cried out indignantly, but merely grumbled as Sirius handed him a strong cup of tea and went to gather their things as well as the backpack they had to get the tent stuffed into.

**xXxXxXx**

Gabriel followed Sirius up into the woods. A huge crowd was already there despite the early hour. Everyone was there for the same reason: they all wanted a portkey away from the damaged and smoldering campsite. Mothers were carrying their crying children and were yelling their pleas that they be allowed to go first. There were four Ministry officials trying to subdue the crowd and establish order. It wasn't hard to find Severus. He was up toward the front and talking in the ear of one of the officials.

They made their way carefully through the crowd, but Gabriel's patience was quickly dwindling. Back in his Polyjuiced form, he was often being shoved at and stepped on. One man tried to grab ahold of his hair, yelling angrily that there was "no cutting in line". Gabriel bared his teeth in warning, but the man made a second grab. Sirius was busy calming a tearful mother and was of no help, so he snapped his mouth forward and bit the bastard.

The man's roar of pain caught everyone's attention and Gabriel opened his mouth, releasing the man. Most everyone turned a baleful look on the man for assaulting an eleven-year-old and they were shuffled to the front without further trouble. Severus gestured them to follow him and they did so, going further into the woods with an old boot.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus stepped into his house and snapped, "Follow me."

Sirius smiled in a pitying way. Gabriel offered to remain and deal with Severus, but Silas knew that would only make things worse and accepted his fate. He was surprised when their mentor did not lead him into the parlor, but instead upstairs to the game room. Severus took a seat at the four-player chess board. Silas raised an eyebrow.

"My punishment is playing chess with you?" he questioned as he sat across from his teacher.

"You made a reckless choice yesterday. One that could have cost you your life or could have had you brought before Dumbledore. I assume you now appreciate the danger. The question becomes, can I help you keep from making such potentially disastrous choices in the future?”

"And you think chess is the answer?" Silas asked neutrally, his eyes heavy with doubt.

"Humor me,” Severus drawled and moved a pawn forward. "Chess is more than observation and being patient. It is more than making sure you are not moving any of your pieces into danger or ensuring that you don't leave your valuable pieces open. Chess is about strategy if played right. You must plan ahead. You must know your opponent's moves before they make them in order to truly win."

Silas didn't sneer. He had watched Harry play this game and he knew the rules and the value of the pieces, but he had never played against anyone. He could already tell that Severus was playing differently than when he played with Harry and Neville. The game had become subtler. He could almost hear Severus speaking to him with every move, trying to teach him something.

During the game, he had to not only think of winning, he had to try and understand the message behind every single move. It taxed his abilities to the utmost, but he felt like he could almost see what Severus was talking about, understanding always just beyond his reach. By the end of two hours, Severus had won and Silas felt his respect for the man increase.

"We will play again. Everyday. Until you win,” Severus said solemnly and stood. "I must return to the school. I won't be back for dinner. Have Black spend at least four hours with Boy as Padfoot."

Silas nodded, unable to thank him and not even sure if he wanted to. One thing was for sure, he definitely felt chastised. He shook his head and headed for their bedroom. He sat at the desk and opened the journal, writing to Harry to let him know all that had transpired since he went to sleep the night before.

**I don't get it. Your punishment was to be bored to death?** Gabriel asked as he wrote.

**No,** Silas answered tiredly. **My punishment is realizing my strategies are inferior to his. And to realize that I should learn from him.**

**So he wants to give you self-doubt?** Gabriel frowned. He didn't like that at all. Silas was cool and methodical, but he did have emotions. Severus had no right to make him feel badly about himself.

**Not self-doubt.** Silas shook his head and closed the journal. **Self-awareness. He is teaching me a more thorough way to think and to fully weigh the consequences of my actions and the actions of others.** Silas felt the Gryffindor's confusion and laughed. **I need to sleep.** **Let Harry Out for a while. He is Host. If we suppress him for too long, he will become disorientated and depressed, but later why don't you duel with Sirius? It will make you feel better.**

Gabriel laughed. Dueling was definitely something he understood and would make him forget all about unfathomable Slytherins. He would definitely take Silas' advice.

**Chapter end**


	31. Internal Conflict

**Internal Conflict**

After Silas and Severus' chess game, Harry had spent the rest of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon with Sirius. They talked mostly of Quidditch and what he had missed. Then after a late lunch, Sirius turned into Padfoot and spent the next several hours with Boy. With no other people around, Padfoot had been able to coax Boy into walking around the sitting room.

Boy wouldn't touch things, afraid he'd be punished for it, and he wouldn't leave the room, afraid he'd meet other people, but Sirius was determined to get Boy to leave the room and explore the house before school started. The biggest step toward progress Boy had made in the weeks since Severus and Remus had left the house was that Boy now talked to Padfoot. He often said things like "No. We can't do that. We'll get in trouble." Still, he was talking and that was very good.

It was hard work, being with Boy, and Sirius was grateful for Gabriel's invitation to duel when the time was up. They fought hard. Sirius usually lost more times than he won. He was still rusty from all those years in Azkaban, but every day he got better. Gabriel was not merciful and Sirius really had to work for every victory.

Because of this Gabriel felt a comforting exhaustion from working hard, his muscles pleasantly sore, so with a final bow he ducked back In and allowed the Host to surface. Harry returned and found Sirius bound and gagged in the corner. He felt his godfather's annoyance and determination and hurried to his side.

"Are you alright?" he asked, carefully untying him since he didn't know the spell to release him.

"Just peachy,” Sirius grumbled. "Gabriel could have untied me before he left."

Harry blushed. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Sirius shook his head and managed to shake off the rest of the ropes. "Come on. I'm starving."

Harry smiled and followed his godfather from the room.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas was still asleep when Harry went to bed. Gabriel was tired, but he wasn't about to leave his post when Silas was unconscious. Someone had to be awake at all times in case something happened. Granted, they were at home and nothing could really attack them there, but it didn't hurt to be prepared. Gabriel sat back and planned his spells for the next duel he had with Sirius. It was midnight when he sensed a disturbance and he slipped Out.

It was a tapping at the window that had caught his attention, and he made his way toward it. He wondered if it was a letter from Remus or Severus, but he was careful in case it wasn't. A strange owl flew in and perched on the chair. Gabriel stared at it. The bird stared back, but it quickly grew impatient. It lifted a leg and shook it, drawing Gabriel's attention to the letter. Gabriel smiled a bit; the bird was certainly haughty enough to be from Severus. He cast a few spells and determined that the bird and the letter were safe. Curious, he took the letter and the bird hooted angrily before flying out the window.

_Dearest Shadow,_

_You were quite right in suspecting the World Cup to be a possible target. That was some show. It seems interesting to me that the aggressors would flee the scene upon the arrival of the Mark of their fallen Lord. It was almost as if they feared it. In any case, there were a relatively few number of deaths. Only three. And all were wizards from other countries. The Ministry is in an upheaval trying to smooth over the damage done. Find a_ Daily Prophet _if you want to know more. In fact, pay attention to page three. You're name was mentioned._

_As for the information in your last letter, I sympathize completely. Had I been Sorted into the Lion's Den, Merlin forbid, I would want to keep my distance from my Housemates as well. It is inarguable that yours is the loudest, most intrusive House the school possesses. I personally prefer a calmer atmosphere at home, but to each his own. If you ever wish to escape into sanity, I know a few comfortable hiding places in the Pit._

_Well, Shadow, the school term is upon us. This will be my last letter. However, if you should wish to continue to correspond in school, I'm sure we can manage something. I wouldn't mind meeting privately face-to-face. There are some things that are better left off paper. You know where to find me._

_Farewell,_

_Serpentine_

Gabriel read the letter twice, shocked. He knew Shadow must be Silas, but who was he writing to and why? Why hadn't he said anything? How had Gabriel not noticed? He put the letter down grimly and stared out the window. If Silas was able to hide this, what else was he able to hide? He felt a shifting in his mind and he knew the Core alter had finally awoken. Just a little too late, Gabriel smiled humorlessly.

**What are you doing?** Silas asked. Gabriel had flipped the letter over so he had no idea what had happened.

"We need to talk. I'm coming back In,” Gabriel answered and climbed back into bed.

It was easy to slip behind the sleeping Host. He appeared in the sitting room in front of Silas who was regarding him curiously. His silver-to-blue eyes were not yet guarded and Gabriel wasn't quite sure how to keep it that way. He wasn't angry with Silas, just worried and disappointed. He had thought the Slytherin trusted him by now. He also didn't approve of Silas keeping things that potentially involved all of them secret.

"Gabe? What happened?" Silas asked, knowing something was wrong.

"What will it take to get you to trust me?" Gabriel asked lowly.

Silas regarded the Gryffindor and began to suspect what had happened. He decided the best thing for now would be to maintain silence. He crossed his arms and waited.

"Silas, answer me. Why don't you trust me?" Gabriel insisted. "Have I ever let you down?"

"Well, you did run off into three confrontations that put our lives in danger. The second one was after manipulating me into helping you when you knew I was against it."

"Sy…" Gabriel sighed with exasperation, running both hands through his hair violently.

"I understand that it is your nature…"

"It is my nature to protect us and other people,” Gabriel interrupted and stalked over to Silas so there was less than three feet separating them. "I trust you to guide us and keep us safe, but you have been communicating with someone in Hogwarts without telling or consulting me. Despite the actions I have taken, these letters alone equal my recklessness. Not to mention sneaking past Severus at the World Cup. You are as equally willing as me to put us at risk if it suites you. So don't give me crap about not trusting me, Silas. At least you know when I take risks. You've tripled the possible danger by keeping Harry and I in the dark. When were you planning on telling us? What would happen if we were approached at school? You would just take over and keep us ignorant? How did you manage that by the way? I haven't noticed missing time, so it had to have happened when I was sleeping, but that is a bit convenient. How could you insure your letters came only when I was asleep?"

"Enough." Silas sighed and uncrossed his arms. "I didn't tell you because I didn't see the point. Yes, it is someone from Hogwarts. They are keeping me informed of what is going on, but the letters are infrequent and specific. I wanted to get a feel of the atmosphere in the world myself and that is why I went out during the World Cup. I didn't hear you complaining."

"I'm complaining now,” Gabriel growled.

"Do you want to read all our letters?" Silas narrowed his eyes. "I have risked nothing. I have been careful and gained a lot of important information in return."

"Yes. I do." 

Gabriel slipped Out again and followed Silas' instructions to find the hidden stack of letters. There were six. The one arrive that night was number seven. Silas had even made copies of his replies, both to help him keep his stories straight and to show whoever found out about the correspondence that he was in control. Gabriel read silently. 

"The person is Slytherin."

**They are,** Silas sighed. **But that doesn't mean…**

"Who?" Gabriel interrupted. Silas remained silent. "Sy…"

**No. That's not important right now. I will tell you if you ever need to know.**

"What is this really about?" Gabriel demanded, putting the letters back where Silas kept them. He leaned back in the desk chair tiredly, his arms hanging limp at his sides. He could go back to bed and return to the soul room to face Silas, but he thought the Slytherin might give more ground if Gabriel wasn't in his face. So he stayed where he was. He wasn't usually so circumspect and it was really, really annoying not to confront Silas to his face, but this was more than a mere battle of wills; he was genuinely worried about Silas.

**What do you mean?**

"Why did you start this? It isn't a good idea to admit that things aren't what they seem with us. Especially with someone in Slytherin."

**They aren't all evil or Death Eaters in training,** Silas defended.

"No. But a good portion is, Sy. We both know it. This person could give our enemies information unintentionally, even if they really were innocent."

**I have not given them any damning information,** Silas retorted.

"No, but you've brought close scrutiny our way. I thought that was to be avoided. This person is going to question your behavior and be amazed at your acting skills. These letters sound nothing like Harry. They are completely _you_. And you wanted to keep it secret and to yourself…" Gabriel had been mostly talking to himself, but an idea hit him. "That's the point, isn't it? This was something for you. Something separate from all of us. A step toward independence and acceptance of your place among us."

**Gabriel, don't be ridiculous.**

"But I'm not." Gabriel shook his head, feeling both sympathy and worry. "It must be hard. Being the Core yet always hidden. Never having a chance to express yourself or interact with others. Severus is just now reaching out to you and before you had no one for so long." He stood and strode to the bed. Harry took his place and continued to sleep as he dropped back In. Silas was facing his bedroom door. His arms were wrapped around his chest defensively. Gabriel felt bad. He wanted to help, but he didn't know how. "We should tell Harry."

“No," Silas refused. "It will hurt him."

"He'll find out eventually, Sy. It would be better if we told him, and it will give you a bit more space to act on your own."

"Not yet,” Silas said softly. There was a hint of pleading in his voice.

Gabriel's eyes softened and he went to the Slytherin's side. Silas stiffened, but Gabriel ignored it as he brought his arms around his friend in a loose embrace. When he felt Silas relax, he squeezed slightly and let him go. "You didn't have to keep this secret. It's dangerous, but if you really want it, then I won't stop you."

"Gabriel…" Silas couldn't look at him. He had no idea what to say.

"You have a letter to write. I'm going to sleep." Gabriel flashed a smile and went to his bedroom, softly closing the door behind him.

Silas stood staring at the closed door for several minutes before he shook himself and went Out. The room was bright from the still fat moon. It had been full not two days ago. The curtains on the window in front of the desk had been thrown open, the glass wasn't closed all the way and a cool breeze stirred the papers. It was quiet. Everyone was asleep, but he wasn't alone.

He could feel Harry, sleeping restlessly, disturbed by their coming and going. Gabriel was sleeping as well, still and warm in his mind. Boy was sleeping more peacefully than he had in a long time and even the chill from Demon's door seemed distant. Everything was good. So why did Gabriel's words hang over him, cling to him, and make him want to hide?

He was good at hiding. It wasn't something he was unfamiliar with, but it had been a long time since he felt he needed to hide when no one else was with him. Feeling that now, when he was alone, meant he wanted to hide from himself, and he couldn't allow himself that luxury. He had to be calm and rational for the others. He couldn't blind himself to a potential weakness or it could mean their destruction. So what did he want to hide from?

Was Gabriel right? Was his continuing to write to Draco a sign that he was tired of watching from the background, that he wanted more independence? He really didn't think so. He had no interest in attending Hogwarts openly, making friends, or even dealing with Harry's growing circle of family. Severus he could tolerate just barely, but Sirius and Remus were not the same.

He resented Sirius for not getting them out of the Dursley's house sooner. He resented the fact that when Sirius was free, he didn't once try and explain himself or the truth, letting Silas believe for almost a year that he was in danger. Only when he couldn't avoid it did Silas reach out to Harry. Sirius wanted the idea of a godson, but had not been willing to have any real connection to Harry. Just because he now wanted a relationship didn't erase the fact that Sirius didn’t try to warn them about Pettigrew when Sirius _knew_ the murderer was with Ron in the same room that Harry slept.

And Remus… He was too afraid of what others thought of him. He didn't want to think on his own. Remus wanted people to tell him what to do and how to help. He couldn't stand up to his friends when he was younger and that same fear of rejection was still a huge weakness now. He was easy to manipulate, and that kind of adult was a danger. The best example was when Harry had to ask Remus to check on Neville. Even though they knew Remus was beginning to love their friend as a son, the werewolf had no idea that Neville had needed him. He just wasn't reliable and Silas couldn't trust him.

So he wasn't interested in forming relationships with anyone; as it was, he barely tolerated the connections Harry had made. He was happy sitting in the back and not being noticed or being forced to do things being Host would require. Like homework that was too easy or putting up with nosy Housemates. Instead, he could focus on more important things, like the plan Voldemort was hatching for Hogwarts this year. He had always enjoyed going off and studying whatever he wanted at night, free of the scrutiny of others. This was just more of the same. His communications with Draco had been nothing more than study. Gabriel wasn't right. He didn't want independence or acknowledgement. He was free and satisfied as he was.

He shoved his thoughts away, certain he'd get no further if he continued. To distract himself, he went to the desk and lifted Draco's last letter and read it carefully. As he read, his attention focused. This was perhaps the most subtle letter Draco had ever written. If he was reading it right, there were several hidden messages.

First, Draco was confirming the black-robed attackers from the World Cup really had been Death Eaters. But why were they afraid of the Dark Mark? Because they might get caught? That didn't seem right. Maybe they are afraid of Voldemort himself, but why? Unless… The majority of Death Eaters were not helping Voldemort return. They went in hiding or denounced Voldemort's claim on them. Essentially, they had become traitors. If Voldemort ever came back, they'd be severely punished.

So who set off the Mark and why? To show their loyalty, to prove they were different than the others? He remembered Winky struggling, remembered hearing Gabriel down two people with his wide-beam Stunner. Someone they couldn't see. Winky was Crouch's elf, and he knew from Draco's letter and what Sirius could tell him that Crouch Jr. had been a Death Eater and had escaped with the help of his parents.

But no one knew Jr. was even alive; he was essentially invisible. Invisible… Silas remembered Winky's struggles and his feeling that it was important. A wild thought came to him: Crouch Jr. could have been fighting against Winky. He could have been the one who set off the Dark Mark. But why? To scare the others off? To warn them that Voldemort would return?

He remembered the vision. Voldemort had returned because he learned something from Bertha Jorkins; a witch who works for Crouch. He could have learned about Crouch Jr. being alive and free. Voldemort had learned he had a loyal follower besides Wormtail and came back for him. He had said in the vision that a loyal follower would join them soon. Did he mean Crouch Jr., then? It seemed likely.

Silas shook his head. This was all guesswork and he could be very wrong. He needed more information before he could be certain of what was going on. His eyes returned to Draco's letter and he found the next part was just as interesting. Draco had called Slytherin House his home. He could mean it completely innocently, but Draco was a Slytherin and Silas didn't think the blonde meant it that way.

Draco was trying to tell him something. Maybe about his alliances. There was a possibility that Draco wasn't interested in following in his father's footsteps. He had begun this communication, with the Boy-Who-Lived no less, but it could be a trap. Severus was a spy for the Light. Was Draco trying to become a spy for the Dark? Frowning, Silas read on.

Draco had closed with a discrete request to meet with him in person. He was hinting that he had something important to say that he couldn't put on paper. But with Voldemort focused on Hogwarts yet again, could Silas afford to let himself go off alone with a boy that calls himself the Slytherin Prince? If Draco rules in Slytherin, and many Slytherins _were_ Death Eater supporters, then…

But that wasn't exactly right. Voldemort wasn't back yet. There were technically no Death Eaters anymore except for two: Wormtail and Crouch Jr. The others were merely former Death Eaters, and they were afraid of the Dark Mark and possibly Voldemort. Was this a hint that they could be turned away if the deal was sweet enough?

Silas sighed. He had much to consider. In fact, he had so much to think about that he wasn't sure what to write in return. Would he continue this at Hogwarts? They couldn't continue writing letters by owl, that would be too obvious, but meeting face-to-face as Draco had requested was dangerous. In any case, he didn't have to decide now. He just wouldn't confirm either way in his reply. If he needed something from Draco once they were at school, he'd think of a plan then. Decided, he began to write.

_Dearest Serpentine,_

_I will indeed acquire the_ Daily Prophet. _I appreciate the good advice. I'll try to continue to keep track with the news before school. Communicating will be difficult now that our correspondence had come to an end, but I am sure, should the need arise, something can be done. Until then, we will have to wait and be watchful._

_Fare you well,_

_Shadow_

**xXxXxXx**

The rest of the week passed very quickly. Severus always arrived early in the morning and took Silas upstairs to play chess for two to three hours. Silas never won. Harry would spend the rest of the day with Sirius, playing and continuing his study into the Animagus Potion and Transformation. After lunch, Padfoot and Boy would spend time together and then Sirius and Gabriel dueled. Sirius was becoming harder to defeat, but he was still losing more than he was winning.

Gabriel and Silas didn't mention the letters again. Silas was thankful. Every night Harry communicated with Ron, Neville, and Hermione. It seemed that life at the Burrow was very hectic. Mr. Weasley and the older boys were always rushing about. Things would be busy for awhile after all that had happened at the World Cup.

Silas did get a hold of the _Daily Prophet_ and found that the reporter Rita Skeeter had found eye-witnesses that saw Harry Potter at the World Cup and that he had been heroically trying to warn people. Several witnesses claimed that had The-Boy-Who-Lived not warned them when he did they would have burned alive in their destroyed tents.

Harry had blushed hotly at this and groaned. Silas agreed. This was going to make returning to school difficult. He only hoped the Professors would prevent anything truly uncomfortable from happening. Hopefully they would block fan mail and keep any non-students or staff from entering school grounds. Gabriel didn't see why it was a problem. Fans or hero worship wouldn't hurt them and he felt they were just wasting their time worrying about it.

September first came and Harry found himself nervous about returning to Hogwarts. He was happy that he'd get to be with his friends again, but he was also nervous because he had decided that he should tell them a bit about what was going on with him. If Hermione had understood everything, she never would have made the choices she had in the first place. 

Gabriel agreed that he should tell them, but Silas was very much against it. He didn't see why they needed to know. It didn't involve them. Gabriel had argued, saying if they were friends with Harry, then they were partially involved already. Harry, hating to get his alters upset, had offered a compromise. He'd tell them, but only so much. The problem now was what exactly he would tell them.

"You alright, kid?" Sirius asked worriedly. They were sitting at the dinning room table having breakfast.

"Yeah. Just nervous." Harry smiled and resumed eating.

"About what?" Sirius cocked his head. "I thought you liked Hogwarts."

"Things are different now. The Headmaster knows about my condition and… And I'm planning on telling Ron and Hermione, but I don't know how much I should say."

Sirius frowned and put his fork down. "That's a tough one. Did you ask Snape?"

"No." Harry looked down at the table. "I haven't seen him since the World Cup. He always leaves after playing with Silas."

Sirius knew it hadn't been Snape's intention to neglect Harry in favor of Silas. Snape had just deemed Silas as more needy at the moment. He would have wanted Harry to ask him to stay if he needed to talk about things, but Sirius wasn't about to say that. He didn't mind Harry coming to him for advice for once. Harry asked him about being an Animagus and they played games together, but he never asked for advice like he did with Snape and Sirius was glad he was finally getting a chance.

"Well, Harry, I think you should tell them a little and see how they react. If they react well, tell them more,” Sirius said and nodded. Yes, that was good advice.

Harry smiled at his godfather, sensing the man's pride and pleasure at helping. Encouraged, he decided to ask more of his questions. "But what is a little bit? Telling even a little is telling them everything, isn't it?"

"Well, yes. If you tell them about your condition to start with. I think you should start at the beginning. Tell them about the abuse and work up from there depending on their reactions."

Harry bit his lip. "Oh."

Sirius' eyes softened and he reached across the table to hold his godson's hand. "I know it's hard. I didn't have the best home life either. I was embarrassed and ashamed, but after my friends knew I felt a lot better. Talking helped the memories become distant, less intense, because they now stood between me and the memories instead of keeping them locked up inside."

Harry nodded and squeezed his godfather's hand. "Thanks, Sirius. That's a good idea." He sighed. "I'd have to tell them anyhow. If I started with my condition, they'd ask how I got this way. Might as well start with the bad stuff."

"That's the spirit." Sirius stood from the table and stretched. "You ready to go? It's getting to be about that time."

Harry called for Omi. The elf appeared and Harry knelt so he could hug him. "Thank you for looking after us all summer. I had a great time and thank you for my birthday present."

"You's very welcome, young sir,” Omi replied quietly, tears in his eyes. "Come back safe, Harry Potter Sir."

"I will." Harry smiled and took his godfather's offered hand.

"Let's go." Sirius waved at the elf and they headed for the door.

Harry's trunk was already in Sirius' pocket. They'd enlarge it when they met up with Remus halfway. The werewolf was going to claim that he got a letter from Sirius, saying he'd hand Harry over to him alone, and if he sensed anyone magical around besides Remus, he'd disappear and Harry wouldn't attend Hogwarts this year. They knew it wasn't safe for Sirius to approach the train station. Dumbledore had his Order members there waiting for any such move so they could take Sirius into custody.

"Are you going to come to Hogwarts with us?" Harry asked after they Apparated to London and began walking toward the café Remus was meeting them at.

"I don't think so." Sirius sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He turned his blue eyes down to his godson and winked. "Maybe once things settle down a bit and Dumbledore isn't looking for me so hard."

Harry nodded and they made their way through the city. He had his shields up at full strength and it felt like a metal band was gently squeezing his head and chest. He felt a bit claustrophobic, but he would get use to it. He had to. There was no way he could be at Hogwarts most of the year and survive without a barrier between him and the many students. It was just past ten when they reached the café and found Remus reading a newspaper at one of the back tables.

He looked up long before they reached the table and smiled, his eyes sparkling with happiness. "You two look well."

"You do, too." Sirius grinned and took a seat. "How's the school?"

"Calm at the moment." Remus looked over at Harry. "Do you want something to eat or drink?"

"No, thank you." He smiled and gave the man a hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too. I can't wait to have you and Neville back with me. Things aren't the same without you." He hugged the boy tight and kissed his wild, black hair.

"He's thinking of telling Ron and Hermione,” Sirius offered.

"Really?" Remus let go to look in his face. "Have you told Severus?"

"Not yet." Harry fidgeted. He hadn't wanted to bother the man. He was so busy with school and he could feel his fatigue when he did come back Out after the chess game was over. He didn't want to add to it, but now he was starting to feel like he had done something wrong by not consulting Severus.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Remus asked.

"Maybe I should wait until I talk to Severus? I don't want him mad at me." Harry bit his lip, his green eyes wide behind his glasses.

"I'm sure he'll support you, no matter what you decide,” Remus soothed. "I just thought he would have good advice for you. He wouldn't tell you what to do, Harry. This is your choice."

Harry nodded. He had thought so, too. Maybe Severus would be proud that he had made a decision and would tell him so when Harry told him about it later.

"Besides, I gave him advice,” Sirius said with annoyance. "He doesn't need anymore."

"It's always good to have as much input as you can when you are uncertain,” Remus argued and then smiled. "And you aren't known for good advice, Padfoot."

The man glared. "That's not true."

Remus must have understood that he had hurt his friend for he immediately became apologetic. "I'm sorry, Paddy. I was just kidding. I'm sure your advice was good."

"It was,” Harry agreed, wanting to make them both happy again. "He really helped."

"I'm glad." Remus smiled and stood. "Why don't you say goodbye. It's time to get going."

Harry nodded and went over to hug his godfather. "Bye, Sirius. I'll miss you."

"Write to me, okay, kid? I want to know all about what's going on." Sirius hugged him fiercely. He wasn't looking forward to being alone again.

"I will." Harry kissed his cheek and waved before following Remus out of the café. The werewolf hefted his trunk and they made their way to King’s Cross.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville stood with Ron and Hermione against the barrier to get onto Platform 9¾. The station was busier than normal so they stood against it talking innocently as they kept an eye out for a chance to walk backwards without being noticed. The older Weasley boys and Mrs. Weasley did their best to screen them and soon they were standing among the excited Hogwarts crowd.

Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist and Crookshanks looked very unhappy. They decided to quickly stow their things and come back off to say goodbye. They were almost to the train when they heard their names being called.

Neville turned with a huge grin on his face. "Harry!"

The small brunet smiled back broadly and hugged Neville tightly. "Hey! I already found a compartment. I'll show you."

"Hey, mate!" Ron huffed as he dragged his heavy trunk behind him.

Hermione smiled. "When did you get here, Harry? Have you been waiting long?"

"No. Only about ten minutes." Harry showed them to the compartment Remus helped him claim that was midway down the train. "Remus brought me, but he had to go back to the school. He's the new History professor."

"That's wonderful!" Hermione gushed excitedly. "He was a very good teacher."

"He's really excited about it. History is his specialty. He only taught Defense as a favor to Dumbledore." Harry helped her stow her trunk while the other two boys took care of their own.

"Come on. I see my mum looking for us,” Ron said, looking out the window. "We need to say bye. You coming, Harry? You scared them by running off at the World Cup and she'd be relieved if she saw you were safe."

Harry bit his lip nervously. He didn't want her to be worried, but he didn't want to be yelled at either. Neville held his hand and spoke soothingly of his week with the Weasleys. It calmed him down and he was relaxed enough by the time they reached the Weasleys that he was smiling.

"Harry Potter!" Mrs. Weasley said and swooped him into an angry hug. "You scared Arthur half to death by running off. What were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry for worrying you, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry offered. His eyes were wide and his face red as she clung to him.

"Let him breathe mum." Fred poked her. "He's obviously okay."

"At least until you got your hands on him,” George added, pulling Harry from her grip.

"Bye, Mum,” Ron spoke up when it looked like she would continue to rant at his friend.

"Thanks for having us, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione smiled and hugged her.

"No problem, dear. Watch out for that friend of yours." She shot a glare Harry's way. "He needs looking after."

Harry flinched and felt tears sting his eyes. He turned his face away to hide them. It wasn't that he was hurt by her, he was just caught off guard and it had been so long since any adult had looked at him like that. It reminded him of his Aunt. He swallowed hard.

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley,” Neville offered his hand and she shook it.

"You kids be good." Mrs. Weasley sniffed. "I'll miss you."

"Bye, Bill, Charlie!" Ron waved. The train's whistle had blown and they only had a few minutes before it left.

"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think." Charlie grinned as he hugged Ginny goodbye.

"Why?" Fred asked suspiciously.

"You'll see. Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it… It's 'classified information until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it', after all."

"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year,” Bill said wistfully, gazing at the train.

" _Why_?" George demanded as they were herded toward the train and a second warning whistle blew.

"You're going to have an interesting year,” Bill continued, his eyes laughing. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it."

"A bit of _what_?" Ron demanded, red-faced.

Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors and the six of them climbed on, but they hurriedly stuck their heads out the window. She waved at them tearfully. "Be good, you lot. I'd invite you back to the Burrow for Christmas, but… well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with… one thing and another."

"Mum!" Ginny cried. "What d'you three know that we don't?"

"You'll find out this evening, I expect." She smiled. "It's going to be very exciting – mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules –"

"What rules?" Ron, Fred, and George called together.

They didn't get an answer as the pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move. They still yelled demands to be told what was going on as the train pulled away, but Mrs. Weasley and her two oldest sons Disapparated before the train had rounded the corner. Grumbling, the twins went their own way and the others went back to their compartment. Ginny went with them, but she was hailed into a compartment and parted with them on the way.

When they got to their chosen compartment, Ron undid his trunk, pulled out his maroon dress robes, and flung them over Pidwidgeaon's cage to muffle his hooting. It was giving the four of them a headache in the small confines of the train compartment. Ron was muttering about his family and secrets when Hermione hushed him. They hadn't shut the door all the way and they could hear a drawling voice coming from the next compartment.

"… Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore – the man's such a Mudblood lover – and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually _learn_ them, not just the defense rubbish we do…"

Hermione got up, tiptoed to the compartment door, and slid it shut, blocking out Malfoy's voice. "So he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he? I wish he _had_ gone, then we wouldn't have to put up with him."

"Durmstrang's another wizarding school?" Harry asked, nervously stalling as he tried to think of a way to bring up what he wanted to talk about.

“Yes," Hermione said angrily. "And it's got a horrible reputation. According to _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_ , it puts a lot of emphasis on Dark Arts."

"I've heard of it." Ron nodded. "Where is it? What country?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Well, nobody knows, do they?"

"Why not?" Neville asked curiously.

"There's traditionally been a lot of rivalry between all the magic schools. Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets."

The conversation continued on for a long time. Harry sat silently and it wasn't until the lunch trolley came by that they noticed how withdrawn he was. He smiled nervously as his three friends who were now looking at him with worry. The rain had become heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows were so steamy that the lanterns were lit. The dark and dreary atmosphere wasn't helping any.

"I… I wanted to talk to you about… something,” Harry began softly. He looked to Neville and saw understanding in his brother's warm brown eyes.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked gently.

Neville stood and sat next to his friend, holding his hand. Ron raised his eyebrows at that, but he said nothing. Harry squeezed Neville's hand thankfully and took a deep breath.

"I wanted to explain… why I went off with… Padfoot this summer and why… why I didn't want you to tell Dumbledore. I realized that maybe you wouldn't have told, Hermione, if you… knew."

"Knew what, Harry?" Ron asked. He moved closer to his friend so that the four of them were almost squished up against the wall near the window.

"The… the Dursleys…" Harry looked away from them and down at the floor. "They abused me." Hermione gasped. "I lived in a cupboard under the stairs until I got my Hogwarts letter… They'd lock me in it for days if I did anything wrong, like burnt the toast or something. I did all the cooking and cleaning. My family… they really hated and feared me… My aunt was my mother's sister and she… I guess, she was jealous that my mum had magic and she never did. She thinks wizards are… abominations. She called me freak and never even told me why… I thought my parents were drunks and died in a car crash until Hagrid told me different. I didn't even know when my birthday was. I had never gotten a present, let alone a party. And for Christmas I always got Dudley's old clothes."

"Oh, Harry." Hermione covered her mouth with shaking hands. Her eyes were full of tears. "You need to tell someone, Harry. Running away… It isn't good enough. They need to be punished for what they did."

Harry shook his head jerkily. His heart was pounding as the old memories surfaced. It took all his strength to concentrate on the conversation. "Dumbledore knows, Hermione. He knew how my aunt felt about magic and how much they hated me, but he was going to send me back. That's why I had to run away."

"He wouldn’t," Hermione denied, her eyes wide with shock.

"Yeah, he would." Neville stared at her hard as he wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "He wanted Harry to be raised in an environment that would leave him vulnerable and sensitive to pain. Harry's important and Dumbledore couldn't afford to have him independent. That's also why he didn't want Harry to mingle too much with other students. He wants Harry to be influential and malleable and being raised in a neglectful home would give him that."

"That's ridiculous." Hermione flushed with anger. "He cares about Harry! He'd never put him in a situation where he was treated so horribly!"

"He knew, Hermione. And he was going to send me back,” Harry repeated. "He cares about me, but… but he has a lot of other things to care about as well. Sometimes the needs of others outweigh my needs."

"No." Hermione shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I've… I've admired Dumbledore a lot longer than you have, Hermione,” Ron said softly. "I was raised to look up to him, but… You should have seen Harry after Second-year. There were bars on his bedroom window and his room was bare like a prison. There was a flap at the bottom of his door and my brothers told me it was probably to slip food in. And… and Harry was moaning and crying…" He cleared his throat. "Dumbledore needs Harry to be a hero. It keeps everyone calm and trusting him. Especially now that Voldemort and his supporters are becoming more active."

"Exactly, Ron! Dumbledore needs a hero! Why would he let Harry be abused? That would only make him weak and frightened, not an independent fighter,” Hermione argued hotly.

"Hermione," Neville said sharply, "Harry _was_ abused and he _isn't_ weak. He was desperate to prove himself and willing to do anything for Dumbledore's approval. The Headmaster got exactly what he wanted. But most importantly of all, Harry has so little self-esteem that he didn't hesitate to risk his life for others, because he feels that other people are more important then him and that dying is alright. He was made vulnerable so that he could be Dumbledore's weapon and not ever have the strength to protest."

Hermione collapsed in her seat, staring openmouthed. Her eyes widened before she curled into herself and began to cry. Ron patted her back awkwardly. Harry had tears running down his cheeks as well, but he was silent. Neville hugged him and whispered in his ear that it was alright. That was when Ron really understood that Neville was Harry's friend. Neville had been there and seen things with Harry that he and Hermione hadn't bothered with. He felt lacking as a friend and promised himself he'd be better.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you,” Harry said hoarsely. "I really do think Dumbledore has the best of the Wizarding world at heart, but… but he doesn't want what's best for me personally. I can't trust him and so I ran away. I was cared for and happy for the first time ever. I… I would have told you sooner, but… I was afraid and ashamed. There are other reasons why I didn't tell you, but… but I think it would be best if… if I told you the rest later."

"It's alright if you don't want to talk about it for right now,” Neville soothed and looked pointedly at the other two across from them.

"Yeah, mate. It's alright, really,” Ron jumped in quickly. "We're just glad you told us now. We'll do anything we can to help you."

Harry smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"Chocolate Frog?" Ron smiled back and offered it.

Harry took it and ate in silence. Hermione was still crying softly and Ron patted her back every once in awhile, but mostly they ignored it. Ron and Neville talked about inconsequential things, trying to ease the tension, but they were very glad when, half-an-hour later, Seamus and Dean found them. The four boys discussed the World Cup and showed the souvenirs they had purchased. Harry joined in and was looking better, but Hermione still huddled in the corner silently. At least she wasn't crying anymore.

**xXxXxXx**

The Entrance Hall was congested. There was a huddle of students blocking the doors as they screamed in rage at Peeves who was laughing and hitting them with water balloons that were somehow colder than the rain falling outside. Professor McGonagall came around the corner and yelled at the poltergeist. The mischievous ghost cackled at her, but eventually he zoomed away. The students let out a breath of relief, but for Harry it was short lived. His head ached and he just wanted to sit down where it was warm, but Professor McGonagall turned to him and grabbed him firmly by the arm.

"Mr. Potter. I need to have a word with you." 

Neville tensed and took a step forward. 

McGonagall stared at him sternly. ”You three attend the Sorting. Harry will be back momentarily."

His friends were helpless to do anything to stop it, so they said nothing as McGonagall led Harry away. Neville's eyes hardened and he turned, running for the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione called after him, but he didn't stop to explain.

**xXxXxXx**

"Ah, Harry, my boy,” Dumbledore said kindly as McGonagall walked him into his office.

Harry was beginning to be afraid. More than anything he wished Severus was with him or he could at least talk to his alters without pen and paper. He wondered why they hadn't come Out yet, but he guessed it was because they didn't want to give themselves away more than they already had. But despite the fear Harry still couldn't believe the Headmaster was going to hurt him; he understood that Dumbledore had other aims besides the welfare of one child, but he wouldn't actively hurt him without reason. Right?

"You may go, Minerva. Thank you for bringing Harry."

"Of course, Headmaster. Should I attend to the announcements and the speech?" she asked, frowning.

"No." He smiled at her. "Start the Sorting without me, but I will be down in time for announcements."

"Yes, sir." She turned and shut the door behind her, leaving Harry alone.

"Have a seat, my boy. I am not angry. I was worried about you all summer,” Dumbledore said gently and offered a piece of candy.

"I'm sorry,” Harry said softly.

"Why did you leave, Harry?" he asked sadly. "We were all very worried for you safety."

"I didn't want to go back to the Dursley’s," he answered in a quivering voice. He avoided Dumbledore's eyes and stared around the room, nervously.

"There has been supposition that you were not treated well at home." Dumbledore sighed. "Is this true, Harry?"

"Yes, sir,” Harry answered meekly, staring down at his hands clasped in his lap. He concentrated on his breathing as Severus had taught him and felt some of his tension ease.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dumbledore asked brokenly.

Harry lifted his head in surprise. The old man looked grief-stricken and Harry's first instinct was to comfort him. To do so, he lowered his barriers a bit so he would know how best to do that and his eyes widened. The Headmaster wasn't sad. He was calm. Harry shook his head mutely in confusion.

"If I had only known… Harry, I would never have allowed you to go back to a home where you were not safe or treated well. Surely you don't believe that of me." Dumbledore's blue eyes captured his own and he felt himself feeling very guilty for doubting the Headmaster. Of course Dumbledore wouldn't allow him to be hurt. He wanted only to protect him. "I am not all-seeing, Harry, though many people think I am. And it pains me greatly that you were suffering under my care."

"I'm sorry, Headmaster. It wasn't your fault. I should have told someone,” Harry assured, not even wondering why his empathy showed that the Headmaster felt satisfied.

"Thank you, Harry." Dumbledore bowed his head tiredly. "I am very glad to know you can forgive me. I will be much more alert in my duties to you, my boy. Starting with knowing how you are. Tell me how your summer went? Was it difficult?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "I had a good time and I was happy."

"I'm glad, child." Dumbledore smiled. "Is your godfather alright? He doesn't need medical attention still, does he? I would be more than happy to give him any help I could."

Harry smiled. "No, sir. He's fine."

"Good. Are you sure you wouldn't care for a lemon drop?" He offered the bowl again. Harry hesitated but took one. "I find that it makes me feel better."

"Remus gives us chocolate to make us feel better." Harry smiled fondly. "He thinks it a cure for everything."

Dumbledore chuckled. "When did he tell you this?"

Harry caught himself and realized that he had been about to tell him about the house and everyone staying there together. He had promised Severus and his alters that he wouldn't. He thought fast. "It was… well… with the… Dementors…" he verbally stumbled. "He gave us chocolate to make us feel better afterwards and when I was… feeling down during the school year… last year when we had lunch together… he'd always give me some."

"I see." Dumbledore smiled. "He is a very wise man."

Harry sighed with relief at how close he had come to telling his secrets. He looked down at the candy he was holding and raised it to his lips. He hesitated, feeling a spike of anticipation from the headmaster, but he brushed it off. Dumbledore was his friend and the candy looked nice.

**Chapter end. Please review.**

**A/N:** Sorry for the cliffy. Hope you guys aren't too mad. To make up for it, I promise the next chapter will come in three days instead of a whole week. Forgive me?


	32. Confrontations

**Happy Mother's Day - 2017**

**Confrontations**

Silas and Gabriel watched grimly as McGonagall left Harry in the headmaster's office alone. Gabriel literally snarled when the Headmaster used a subtle glamour to gain their Host's compliance and trust before asking his questions. The most usual kind of glamour disguised physical appearances, but the more powerful ones could disguise true intentions and exude certain basic cues like friendliness or attractiveness. Kitten had used one such and now Dumbledore was gently ensnaring their Host's senses as well.

"No." Silas grabbed his arm. "It won't do any good to go Out now. Let this run its course."

"I have to do something! Who knows what that bastard is doing!" Gabriel yanked his arm away, eyes flashing.

Silas shook his head. "No. That's what he wants. As soon as we switch in his company, he'll have power over us.”

"What are you talking about?" Gabriel demanded, exasperated.

"He's had months to think of a way to use our condition against us, Gabriel,” Silas said with frustration, running his hands through his hair roughly. "You don't think he was sitting on his hands and merely waiting for us to return, do you? He will have some plan to make it so that he can control how and when we switch."

"That's impossible,” Gabriel argued, eyes narrowed, angry at the situation. "Isn't it?"

"Nothing is impossible."

Gabriel stood, tense as a drawn bow, not really sure which way to jump. On one hand, he trusted Silas' judgment, but on the other he was driven to protect them and this was clearly an attack. He _really_ hated inaction. 

Turning his attention outward, he watched in dismay as Harry accepted candy from Dumbledore. He looked over at Silas, but the Slytherin shook his head, but Gabriel could not bear to let this go any further and disappeared.

**xXxXxXx**

Dumbledore smiled his kind smile as he watched with bated breath as the teen took the candy from him. Harry hesitated when it was halfway to his mouth but continued. Dumbledore looked away from the potion-tainted candy and into emerald green eyes. His smile faltered as he stared into the hardened, angry gaze of someone not at all taken in by his friendly glamour.

Gabriel stood and threw the candy back in Dumbledore's face. The lemon drop bounced off the headmaster's cheek. The angry teen glared down at the man and said in a hard voice, "You are a mortal man, Albus Dumbledore, and you _will_ be held accountable for your actions. This isn't a game! You’re messing with people's _lives,_ and you have no _right_ to do so." He leaned forward, eyes flashing. "What happened to you? I imagine your younger self would have hated what you have become. God only knows that the Wizarding world would hate you too if they ever knew the truth of your actions."

"Enough!" Dumbledore roared, surging to his feet as rage washed away his shock. He visibly tried to calm himself as he stared at the teen who was boldly staring back. "You are certainly brave, Gabriel. That will help you in the future, but beware creating enemies where there are none."

"I'm not afraid of you, Albus. I pity you." Gabriel straightened, his wrist flexing just so, forcing his wand to fall subtly into his hand from the sheath on his forearm. "Think of everything you've done, all the people you've hurt, and for what? What have you accomplished?"

**What are _you_ trying to accomplish? Why are you baiting the man?** Silas yelled furiously. **Get out of there! Now!**

**I'm successfully distracting him from his plan to do whatever you think he was planning to do. Now leave me alone!** Gabriel thought back furiously.

"I don't expect you to understand,” Dumbledore said solemnly. "But you will in time.” The headmaster’s hand snapped up with surprising speed and a spell raced for Gabriel's chest. 

The Gryffindor dodged and shouted off a spell of his own, but the office was small and there wasn't much room to dodge. Plus Dumbledore had the advantage by knowing exactly where everything was. Gabriel almost made it to the door when he was immobilized. He was left staring impotently at the ceiling as he landed, hard, on his back. He prepared to sink under and allow Silas Out when Dumbledore agilely leapt over the desk and shouted a spell, his wand digging into Gabriel's temple. The teen silently wailed as he felt magic spear into his consciousness. Everything went black.

**xXxXxXx**

"You moron!" Silas yelled as Gabriel materialized in the Gryffindor's bed. 

A cold band of metal sat around the alter's head. It looked like a crown, but Silas knew better. This was a constraint. It was because of the spell Dumbledore had cast and he knew that didn't bode well for any of them. Silas touched it and Gabriel, face already contorted into an expression of agony, moaned deep in his throat. The metal felt cold as ice and felt similar to white-gold. 

"Why did you do that?" Silas asked in a worried whisper. "I told you he was planning something.”

"Sorry,” Gabriel rasped, fists clenching at his sheets, his whole body soaked with sweat and rigid with pain. "Couldn't let … hurt Harry…”

"I know." Silas covered the Gryffindor's hand with his own. "We'll get this off you somehow."

“Sy…” Gabriel passed out.

Boy began to wail in fear. Silas ran from the room and saw Harry tossing on the couch as if from a nightmare. The window in the sitting room was pushing in toward them. Dumbledore was trying to get into their mind! 

Silas hissed and ran to the couch, pulling Harry into his arms. He flicked his fingers at Gabriel's shut door, locking it with the strongest spell he knew. He did the same to Boy's cupboard and Demon's stone door before running to his room with Harry and locking the door behind him. 

He carefully laid Harry on his bed and, with surprising gentleness, brushed his hair from his face. "It'll be alright."

Harry relaxed in response and his breathing deepened. Silas smiled down at him before hurrying back to his door and pressing his ear against it. He could hear footsteps. He hissed at his door and an engraved snake became animated and blinked at him. 

**“** _Tell me what is happening in the next room,”_ he ordered.

The snake obediently went flat in the listening posture, his tongue flickering. **“** _There is a man looking at the carvings on the oak door... He shakes his head and tastes of amusement and awe. He is trying to open it but fails. He tastes of unhappiness, but that changes to interest as he hears the fearful child in the dark. He goes and listens… He talks, trying to sooth the child, but he is only making the child cry harder… He is trying to open the door but cannot. He shakes his head and moves on… He studies the stone door. He listens. He touches it and recoils. He tastes of fear and worry. He moves on… He is standing in front of me. He is looking at the carvings. He tastes determined. He raises his hand and says strange words… He looks toward the window to Outside. He nods and moves toward it.”_

"You will understand in due time, my boy, that this is for the best,” Dumbledore said loudly, voice muffled through the wood.

Silas sneered at him through the door.

**“** _The man is gone,”_ his snake told him.

**“** _Thank you.”_

The snake nodded and went still as wood once again. Silas sighed and unlocked his door with a wave of his hand. He grabbed the handle and pulled, but it did not open. It was still locked. Silas hissed furiously.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus stormed toward the headmaster's office. His blood had run cold when Longbottom had come running into the Great Hall with panic and fear on his face. Severus didn't even need to be told what had happened; he just stood and slipped out the staff door, heading for the headmaster. Rage boiled just beneath the surface of his thoughts, but he managed to keep his expression to his normal scowl. If Dumbledore had Harry… He cut off the thought and walked faster. When he arrived at the gargoyle, he tried every password he knew and wasted several minutes, but the damn thing wasn't moving. He cursed as he kicked it.

"I doubt that's going to get you inside." 

Severus spun and found himself staring down at Rowena. Her head was tilted curiously. 

"Have you kept our bargain? Have you taught the Elemental how to meditate?"

"I have,” Severus bit out. “However, now is not the time for this."

"Isn't it?" She smiled. "I said that in exchange for you teaching him to meditate, Salazar would help you with Harry."

"And?" Severus asked carefully. He had thought the Slytherin phantom had already paid that debt by explaining what he had discovered about Harry's condition and revealing Demon's connection to both Harry and Voldemort. Although, with his knew knowledge about where Silas stood in the scheme of things, he wondered how the connection to Voldemort really worked. He'd have to think about that more later. He narrowed his eyes at the girl phantom before him.

"Harry is not better. He still needs help. Therefore Salazar is still obligated to help you." She winked. "But only if you ask for it."

These phantoms were wasting his time with stupid word games! Harry was in trouble! He gritted his teeth and asked, "Salazar, will you help me?"

"Fine." 

Severus spun around again to see the young man leaning insolently against the gargoyle. 

Salazar smirked. "But I'm not the one that can get this lump to move. That's Helga's area. She's the one that moves the staircases and whatnot. I can ask her, but you'd have to offer something in return."

"You're enjoying this,” Severus accused.

"Well, yes." Salazar shrugged. "It's been awhile since I was awake and it's good to have some fun now and again."

"Harry's in danger!" he roared.

Salazar grinned evilly."Yes. He is. So you should hurry up, don't you think?"

Severus fumed. Helga Hufflepuff had been an expert in architecture and magic related to construction. The castle was her design. She also had created many of the spells that allowed it to be built and preserved. Salazar had implied that Helga-the-phantom's area of interest was the physical castle, as well. "Wake her,” he said shortly, knowing what he must offer.

Salazar raised an eyebrow and the air next to him shimmered. A stocky girl with thick, braided, golden-blonde pigtails appeared. She had a round face and bright hazel eyes under thin eyebrows. She looked around in confusion and yawned. "What's going on?"

"I offer you my body and magic to reinforce or repair any part of this castle in exchange for you waving the security on this gargoyle so I may pass,” he said solemnly.

"What?" She blinked at him in surprise. "But that's the Headmaster's guardian."

"This is how it is." Rowena said, walking up to the other girl. "Salazar woke because a student here has a unique mental condition. He paid a second student with my tutelage in Elemental magic in exchange for more information, but in order to teach the boy I needed Severus' help. I paid off my debt for his assistance by promising Salazar's help with the first student with the unique mental condition. In order to follow through with that bargain, Salazar has woken you so that Severus can reach said student who is being held captive by the increasingly unworthy Headmaster who is placing politics over his duties to this school and the students it houses."

"Why didn't you say so?" She smiled at Severus and waved her hand.

The gargoyle moved aside silently and Severus raced up the stairs, wondering if he could hex phantoms. His fury disappeared completely, however, when he burst into the headmaster's office to find the ancient man bending over Harry with his wand at the teen's temple. The boy was unconscious and the room was a mess. He had a very good idea what had happened and felt genuinely afraid for his charge.

His first instinct was to rip the man away, but that would likely cause damage to Harry. He'd have to get Dumbledore to come away on his own. He snarled and dug his fingers into the headmaster's shoulder and hissed, "Headmaster. Stop this instant. You are making a mistake." 

He continued to talk the man back until Dumbledore opened his eyes with a gasp and let his wand fall away from the teen's head. Severus clenched his fists in rage, but managed not to punch the fool in the face for touching his child.

“Severus," the old man said tiredly. "Help me to my seat."

The Potion Master did as he was told silently. Once Dumbledore was settled, he asked, "What should I do with Potter?"

"Take him to the Hospital Wing,” Dumbledore answered after a moment's consideration. "Tell Poppy he fainted while I asked him about his summer." He looked at his clock and sighed. "It is about time I gave my speech to the Great Hall. Meet me here when you are done. I have much I want to discuss with you."

"Yes, sir." Severus bowed stiffly. 

He flicked his wand and stalked from the headmaster's office, the unconscious teen floating behind him. He got to the infirmary in minutes and Poppy tisked in disapproval as he levitated Harry into the bed. He ignored her mutterings about accident prone students and waited for her diagnosis.

She frowned. "He's healthy as far as I can see. Maybe a rejuvenation potion?"

Severus helped her but still Harry lay unconscious. They tried several spells and got the same lack of results. Severus finally said, "Let me see what I can do."

Poppy highly disapproved of Legilimency used without consent, but she had to admit her patient's condition worried her. She could find no reason for his unconsciousness, so she nodded. 

Severus told her to hold the teen's eyes open and he stared down into their depths. It was easy to slip into the defenseless mind. After all the hours he spent teaching Harry Occlumency, the teen's mind was almost as familiar to him as his own. Therefore, he knew immediately something was wrong. The darkness didn't feel right as he past it. He stepped into the sitting room and looked around. He frowned. He'd never seen it empty or with every door shut.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas had tried everything he could think of and couldn't unlock his damn door. He fumed as he sat heavily on the floor, leaning his back against the foot of his bed. With a tired sigh, he closed his eyes. They snapped right back open, however, as he spun up onto his knees to lean over Harry. 

"What was that? Did you say something?"

“Sev'rus," Harry sighed in his sleep, a small smile on his lips.

Hope and gratitude burned through him and he ran to his door. "Severus? Are you there?"

Severus’s voice came muffled through the thick wood. ”Silas? What is going on?"

"That bastard locked me in,” Silas explained icily. "I've tried every unlocking spell I know. I’m hesitant to try blasting it open. I don't know what that will do to our mind."

"It is never a good idea to destroy parts of your mental landscape,” Severus agreed. "Do you know what he incanted?"

"No. He was speaking too softly to hear through the door."

"Where are the others?"

Silas quickly explained everything that had happened. He glanced worriedly to the bed and saw Harry stirring restlessly. "Harry needs Out. He's been suppressed almost too much as it is lately. It's not good for him."

"Almost there,” Severus reassured. 

A popping noise sounded and suddenly the door opened inward. Silas threw it open all the way with a sneer; Harry immediately faded.

Severus smirked at him. "You can handle everything else here?"

“Yes," Silas hissed, ruffled that the man was able to unlock the door when he hadn’t been able to.

"Good." Severus nodded and disappeared as he eased out of the teen's mind.

Severus blinked and found himself staring into confused green eyes. 

Poppy was fusing and casting more diagnostic spells, but they were coming back normal. Harry thanked her and assured her he was fine, blushing under the attention and worry she had focused on him. Satisfied, she released him from the hospital, but she admonished him to be more careful.

"I will,” Harry promised sweetly. "Thank you for taking care of me."

She patted his cheek. "It was no problem, dear."

Freed, Harry stood and followed Severus from the infirmary. "What happened, sir?" he asked as soon as they were alone.

"I was wrong,” Severus said grimly and Harry bit his lip as waves of guilt and anger rolled off the dark-eyed man. "I thought the Headmaster would consult with me before he made a move, and I would, therefore, have time to think of a way to block his attempts at gaining control over your mind."

"What did he do?" Harry asked, his face pale.

"He placed some sort of binding on Gabriel and locked Silas in his room. Had I not unbound him, he would not have been allowed Out."

Harry shook his head, tears burning his eyes. "It's my fault. I trusted him… _Why_ did I trust him?"

"He most likely used a glamour that subtly influenced you into trusting and liking him. It was not your fault." Severus squeezed his shoulder. "I am sorry. We were not as prepared as we should have been, but that doesn't mean we will leave things as they are. I suspect I will discover exactly what the headmaster has done tonight when I check in with him. You and I will work together to undo it."

Harry nodded and hugged the man.

Severus pat him awkwardly on the shoulder before pulling away. "You should get to your dorm. The Welcoming Feast should be over."

Harry smiled shakily. "Okay."

"Everything will be fine, Harry,” Severus found himself saying gently. "Don't forget to Occlude."

Harry felt his worry ease as his teacher unknowingly wrapped him in care. "Yes, Severus."

"I'll meet you tomorrow after curfew. Come to my quarters.”

Harry waved and jogged down the hallway, toward Gryffindor Tower.

Severus shook his head and walked slowly toward the headmaster's office. Bitterness burned the back of his throat. Once he had once been able to think of the man as a second father, a beloved mentor, but no more. He would never be able to forgive the headmaster for taking that away from him. Why was it that everyone Severus looked up to was eventually corrupted? And why were the sins they committed always so unforgivable?

**xXxXxXx**

Harry had just reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and could hear the approach of some students. He did his best to ignore the curious stares as he made his way through the fairly full common room and up to the Fourth year boys' dorms. He was just glad none of them asked him anything. He opened the door and found he was the last one there. Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus all sat on their beds. At his entrance, Neville jumped up and wrapped him in a worried hug.

"Are you alright?" Neville whispered in his ear.

"Yes." He smiled, hugging his brother tight. "Just really tired."

"I'll tell you what you missed,” Neville offered loudly, trying to divert suspicion and keep the others from asking his best friend too many questions.

"Sure." Harry went to sit on his bed. He smiled at Ron when the redhead frowned at him worriedly.

"Dumbledore was late," Neville began, offering his shoulder for Harry to lean against and still be able to watch the others in the room. "But he announced there would be no Quidditch this year. Instead, Hogwarts is hosting the TriWizard Tournament. There will be a champion chosen from each school, but you have to be seventeen or older to enter. There will be three Tasks and the winner gets money and a trophy, as well as glory for their school."

"The age limit makes it sound dangerous,” Harry said uncertainly, feeling the excitement in the other three boys. He hastily tried to erect a stronger barrier to block his empathy.

"It is,” Neville agreed. He wasn't excited or interested in the Tournament. "They stopped having it because too many kids were getting killed."

"But Dumbledore said they’ve done what they could to make the tasks safer,” Dean argued.

"Imagine winning the trophy!" Seamus said hungrily. "I wish I could enter."

"And the galleons. Think of what you could do with that many galleons,” Ron agreed eagerly.

"We also have a new Defense Teacher: Professor Moody,” Neville continued.

"My dad told me about Mad-Eye before school started. He didn’t know he was going to be a teacher, though,” Ron told them excitedly. “Mad-Eye lives in a muggle neighborhood, you know, and set up magical alarms that made the trash bins go crazy and was shooting off curses and hexes like there was no tomorrow. He claimed someone was trying to break into his house, but he said the intruder ran away before he could see them clearly."

"I've heard Seventh-years talking about him on the way up." Seamus grinned. "He's paranoid of everyone! He won't even drink anything anyone gives him and only drinks from his hip flask. But he was a good Auror during the first war. No one caught more Death Eaters than he did."

Dean bounced excitedly. "I bet we'll learn loads from him."

"I hope so." Ron shook his head. "We haven't got a good track record for DADA teachers, have we?"

"What's he look like?" Harry asked curiously.

Dean and Seamus excitedly described their near teacher in horrifying detail. Neville and Ron laughed as they made Harry swallow nervously. Conversation drifted back to the tournament a little while later, but within the hour they were getting tired. It had been a long day for all of them, so they got ready for bed.

"Night, Harry,” Neville called.

"Goodnight, all,” Harry answered sleepily.

“Goodnight," Seamus and Ron mumbled. 

Dean just grunted.

**xXxXxXx**

“Severus," Dumbledore greeted. His eyes were hard as flint and his face was unsmiling. "Where were you? And where is Harry?"

"I took him back to his dorm, sir." He just barely refrained from saying 'Master' and grimaced. That alone said a lot about Dumbledore's actions lately if it woke those old habits. "Poppy was not able to find anything wrong with Potter, but the boy wouldn't wake up. I had to enter his mind and prod him out of his mental defenses."

"Is he aware what has happened to his alter?" Dumbledore asked thoughtfully.

"I don't know, sir. He was withdrawn and silent."

"Very well, Severus." The headmaster sat tiredly behind his desk and gestured for him to take a seat across from him. "Did you take the time to examine his condition?"

"I did not,” Severus answered, sitting. "I did not feel it was appropriate with how distressed he was."

Dumbledore nodded vaguely. "After spelling him, I entered his mind to see how well it had taken. I discovered evidence of not just two alters but four. One of the doors could have been Harry's, but I’m not sure." He described what he had seen. "Did you encounter anything like this when you had detention with him last year?"

"No, sir,” Severus lied easily. "There were only three doors at the time; one was Silas, one was Gabriel, and the last was Harry's own."

"I see." Dumbledore stroked his beard pensively. "So Sirius did affect Harry's condition. He made Harry create a new alter. It is imperative we find out as much about this new alter as we can. We also need to find Sirius. We need to know what happened this summer."

"Yes, sir." Severus bowed his head. "May I ask what spell you used on the Gryffindor alter?"

"Ah, yes." Dumbledore smiled proudly. "I worked all summer on that. It is a variant of the spell used to expel evil spirits, but instead of expelling the mind in possession at the time it anchors it. The second part of the spell I based on portkeys just inverted. Instead of bringing you somewhere else, it will bring someone else to it. It was rather difficult, but I managed. I set the spell parameters to transport and lock Gabriel's mind to the forefront whenever the key phrase is spoken."

"Ingenious." Severus said softly as if impressed. "But what will that accomplish?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Gabriel is the only one who can save us. If we can protect Harry from suffering the hardships of the battles to come, but at the same time be able to train a warrior that will think of nothing but the battle, then we have won without having to sacrifice an innocent child. However, we can't leave the chance of one of the other alters forcing Gabriel away from a battle. Once he is in a perilous situation, he will have no choice but to fight, and, indeed, because he is Gabriel, he will not even want to run away. He will fight and win. We will all be saved and peace will return."

"It is unreasonable to rely on a child to save us,” Severus growled, unable to keep his silence. "We should fight for ourselves."

"I know you feel you must repent for your past, but the best way to do so is to ensure the safety of the world. Harry is a child of fate. We cannot stand in his way. We must help him as much as we can. Gabriel is a blessing. Within this alter we have a way to keep Harry unweighed down by his burden while he still fulfills his destiny." The headmaster smiled kindly at his spy. "Go, Severus. Attend to your new Slytherins. I can see you are tired. We will talk more about Harry's condition later."

"Yes, sir,” Severus said, standing. He made his way to the door.

"Oh, and if you have any contact with Harry, I want to know immediately. I don't care how small the interaction."

Severus inclined his head as he closed the door behind him.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas looked up as Gabriel staggered into the sitting room. He looked haggard. Dark circles lay under his eyes and his mouth was tight with pain. The white-silver band around his head hadn't shrunk or disappeared. The Gryffindor fell onto the couch heavily and grumbled, "What's going on?"

"Harry's sleeping. It'll be dawn in a couple hours,” Silas answered softly, afraid he'd cause the other pain if he spoke too loudly.

Gabriel flashed him a wan, grateful smile. "Any idea what this is?"

"Not yet. We'll know more tomorrow night. I would have gone to the library, but I was afraid of drawing too much attention to us." Silas scooted closer and peered at the metal band. "What does it feel like?"

"Like thorns of ice are cutting into my scalp." Gabriel grimaced. "But it doesn't feel as bad as it did when it first happened. Maybe the pain will go away." He looked over the back of the couch and grimaced. "Has he been doing that all night?"

Silas looked at the cupboard door and nodded solemnly. Boy had been crying softly ever since Dumbledore had entered their mind. "I hope this doesn't set back his progress with the mutt."

“Me, too." Gabriel sighed and looked back at Silas. The Slytherin teen was pale and unusually still. Guilt burned the back of his throat. "Listen, Sy, I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Silas met his alter's eyes. "Who knows what Dumbledore would have done if you hadn't intervened. I should have had a plan to deal with him instead of being so certain that he wouldn't make a move so soon."

Gabriel sighed and looked toward the dark window. There really wasn't anything else to say. Silas sat silently at his side and they waited for the sun to rise, listening to Boy's quiet cries.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke to Neville shaking him. Dean and Seamus had already gone down to breakfast and Ron had brought Hermione up with him. The two were sitting on Ron's bed, watching him, while Neville stood by his bed. Their emotions swirled around him and he sat up with wide eyes. He felt concern and fear from Ron. Hermione was depressed and disillusioned as well as worried. Neville was angry and concerned.

"I'm alright, guys." He tried.

"What happened, mate? Where did Professor McGonagall take you?" Ron asked, determined to hear the answer.

Harry looked to Neville nervously. The brunette frowned, "If you don't want to say…"

"If we're ever going to be able to help you, then we need to know,” Hermione spoke up firmly, meeting Harry’s eyes for the first time.

"McGonagall brought me up to the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore dismissed her and I sat in front of his desk. He… He put up some kind of glamour so I would trust him and then questioned me about my summer and Sirius. I promised I'd keep Sirius’s secrets, but I almost told him things I didn't want to. Then Dumbledore gave me a lemon drop and I passed out." Harry shook his head sharply as the distress from Ron and Hermione spiked. "I was taken to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey couldn't wake me, so Sev… I mean, Snape…" Harry blushed at his near slip. "He did something to wake me up and I came back here."

"You think there was something in the lemon drop?" Hermione asked carefully.

"What else do you think it was?" Ron demanded harshly. "It's not like anyone could stop him. Unlike us, Harry has no parents to complain to."

"Ron!" Hermione said sharply.

He glared. "It's true!"

"But… but why?" she pleaded with the others for an explanation, a justification, an excuse, for the headmaster's actions. She couldn’t understand why a human being would hurt a child in the first place, let alone someone so revered. It was so _wrong_! ”Why would he do that?"

"I think… I think I scared him,” Harry answered, tears burning his eyes with sympathetic sorrow. "He was afraid I'd be out of his control after spending all that time with Sirius and he wanted to make sure I obey and trust him again."

"What do you think he did while you were passed out?" Ron asked darkly.

"I don't know,” Harry lied and blushed hotly, feeling guilty, but he wasn't ready to tell them about his condition.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione came over and wrapped him in a hug. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what to do!"

"We're going to miss breakfast,” Neville said quietly. "Come on."

Ron nodded and took Hermione's hand. Neville followed them. \

Once harry was dressed, he hurried down after his friends, building up his mental shields as he went. When they reached the Great Hall, one glance at the ceiling showed them that it had stopped raining, but that it was still cloudy and grey. Harry was glad he was wearing the cloak Severus had given him for his birthday as it was a bit chilly. Hermione sat silently for a few minutes, not touching the food. Eventually, she stood and said she had to go to the library. Harry looked questioningly over at Ron.

The redhead shrugged. "She discovered Hogwarts uses house-elves last night and won't eat the food, saying it was made by slave labor."

"Oh." Harry looked at the food and considered pushing it away, but then he thought of Omi and resumed eating. If all house-elves were like Omi, they'd be hurt if he didn't eat. He had just finished when he saw a blond head go by. "I'll meet you guys outside,” he told his two friends as he ran out of the Great Hall. "Owen!"

The first year turned around, his blue eyes curious. He spotted Harry jogging up to him and his face went slack with surprise. A brunet stood at his side and actually looked like he might faint. 

Harry smiled, hoping the two boys wouldn't be afraid. "Sorry I didn't get to see your Sorting. I see you got into Hufflepuff." 

Owen nodded dumbly. 

"Is this your dorm mate?"

"Uh…" Owen blinked a few times and blushed bright read. "Yeah… Uh, this is… this is Kevin Whitby."

"Nice to meet you." Harry smiled and shook the other boy's hand. "Owen's a great friend." 

Kevin nodded mutely, eyes still huge. 

"Well, I… I wanted to return something to you. Thanks for letting me borrow them." Harry smiled and reached into his book bag for the Omnioculars Hermione had used to record the game for Owen.

The blond took them, understanding dawning behind his eyes. He grinned up at Harry. "You're welcome. I'm glad you liked it."

"It was really great. Thank you very much,” Harry said sincerely. He noticed his friends leaving the Great Hall. "Well, I have to get to class. I hope I can talk to you more later."

"That would be great. See you later." Owen waved and grabbed Kevin's hand, dragging him away.

"That was Harry Potter!" the brunet gasped.

Ron looked over at Harry with a grin and threw an arm around his shoulders. "Charming First-years, now, are you?"

They didn't see Hermione until they reached the greenhouse. She looked much better and the boys shook their heads at her in bemusement. It was amazing how much books could reassure the girl. She blushed and hit Ron on the arm. 

They didn't get to talk much after that. Professor Sprout had them collecting puss from bubotubers. Neville explained in a low voice what the puss was good for as they worked. Harry was intrigued that such a thing could be so useful in potions, but Ron was just disgusted. Dean and Seamus agreed with him and the three groaned loudly after every blister they popped.

They were relieved to finally be released and made their way down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures. Lavender and Parvati were looking a bit nervous and Dean and Seamus trailed behind the group. Hagrid was waiting for them with a big grin on his face, making them groan quietly. Nothing ever good came from Hagrid smiling like that.

"Mornin'!" the half-giant boomed. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins, they won' want ter miss this. Got us Blast-Ended Skrewts!" He pointed down into the crates that were littered around the lawn.

"Ewww!" Lavender squealed and jumped back several feet after peaking in.

Harry and his friends eased closer to one of the shaking crates and looked in. The creatures inside looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters, horribly pale and slimy-looking, with legs sticking out in very odd places and no visible heads. There were about a hundred in each crate, each about six inches long, crawling over one another and bumping blindly into the sides of the boxes. They smelled strongly of rotten fish and every now and then a flame erupted at one end, propelling them across the box quickly.

"On'y jus' hatched,” Hagrid beamed proudly, "so yeh'll be able to raise them yerselves!"

"And why would we want to raise them?" a cold, drawling voice asked. 

The Gryffindors turned and saw the Slytherins had arrived. Glares were quickly exchanged between the two groups. Draco sneered at the look of confusion on Hagrid's face. 

"I mean, what do that _do_? What is the _point_ of them?"

Hagrid stammered, obviously not knowing the answer, and quickly ordered them to try feeding them. 

Seamus was grumbling about puss and giant maggots when Dean yelled with pain. Hagrid ran over to him, but it was only a mild burn. He told the teen he could hold out on going to the infirmary until the end of class. Lavender demanded what the pointy things on some of the Skrewts were. Hagrid proudly said that the boys had stingers and the girls had suckers to drink blood.

"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive,” Malfoy said sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite them all at once?"

"Don't think they are pets." Harry shook his head and looked over at the blonde conversationally. "Maybe they're good for something else."

"Yeah!" Hermione said in an aggressive tone. "Just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful. Dragon's blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"

Ron snickered and looked sideways at Hagrid. 

Draco glared, remembering the detention he had received for telling on them about their dragon smuggling. 

Harry shot his friends a subduing look. "I don't want to fight."

"Help me with this, Har,” Neville called.

Ron and Hermione shared baffled looks and went back to their own crate. 

Draco watched Harry's back, face blank for a few moments before turning back to his Slytherins. They worked hard and by the end of the class period everyone had some kind of injury or another. Even the Gryffindors were grumbling about Hagrid and Skrewts as they trudged back up to the castle.

It was lunch time, but Hermione left them again to go to the library. Ron shook his head, while Neville and Harry stared after her worriedly. They didn't get to see her again until after their afternoon class of Divination. Professor Trelawney was teaching them how to read their horoscopes from the position of the planets in the sky. Ron, Seamus, and Dean were goofing off so Trelawney assigned them lots of homework, not that Lavender or Parvati minded. Divination was their favorite class.

"Have lots of homework, guys?" Hermione came up to them smiling as they met outside the Great Hall for dinner. "Professor Vector didn't give _us_ any."

Ron glared at the amused Hermione. "Well, bully for Professor Vector then."

Harry was about to say something when Draco walked up with a paper and a large smirk on his face. 

"Hey, Weasley! Have you seen the paper?" 

It felt like half the school had stopped to listen as Draco read out loud about the fiasco with Moody and how Ron's dad had to get him out of trouble. They hadn't even gotten Ron's dad's name right, calling him Arnold instead of Arthur. Draco laughed at that most of all.

Hermione and Harry grabbed for Ron as the redhead surged forward. "I'd rather my parents be unknown than arrogant arseholes like yours! You know your mother, Malfoy? That expression she had at the World Cup like she has dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that or was it just because you were with her?"

Malfoy's pale face went slightly pink. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Weasel!"

"Keep your big mouth shut, then," Ron snarled as Hermione, Harry, and Neville tugged him away.

BANG! … The crowd rippled in shock and people screamed in surprise as Draco shot a spell at the Gryffindors' backs. Harry felt something white-hot graze the side of his face and fell back in fearful shock. 

Silas took his place and twitched his wrist, spinning to face the blond with his wand ready. Gabriel had wanted to surge Out, but the Slytherin had managed to beat him to the punch. He wasn't sure what would happen if Gabriel came Out while Dumbledore's spell was active and wasn't willing to find out because of a childish squabble. He had just turned around to face the Slytherin when a second loud BANG roared through the Entrance Hall.

"OH, NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!"

Professor Moody, limping down the staircase, had his wand pointing at the white ferret shivering on the ground where Draco had been standing seconds before.

Silas was shocked. A million things could go wrong when you forcefully transform a human into something else and it was very disorientating, causing the person to panic and often times incurs lingering emotional distress. He'd never seen a teacher use transfiguration as a punishment at Hogwarts for any reason, not even McGonagall, and she was the most likely professor who could pull it off without damaging the student.

There was a terrified silence as the students watched Moody. The scarred professor turned to Silas. "Did he get you, Potter?" His voice was low and gravelly.

"No, sir,” Silas answered evenly, meeting his normal eye. The other was rolled up, showing only white.

"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.

"Leave – what?" Ron asked, bewildered.

"Not you – him!" Moody growled, jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

Crabbe, who had been about to pick up the ferret, now stood frozen, his eyes wide and scared. Silas realized that Moody's fake eye must be magical and was able to see out the back of the man's head. Moody turned and started to limp toward the transfigured boy. The ferret gave a terrified squeak and took off, streaking for the stairs to the dungeons.

"I don't think so!" Moody roared, pointing his wand at the ferret again. It flew ten feet into the air, fell with a smack to the floor, and then bounced upward once more. "I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned. Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do…" 

The ferret flew through the air, its legs and tail flailing helplessly.

**Silas! Do something! This isn't right! He's really hurting him!** Gabriel yelled furiously. How dare a teacher do such a thing to a student! This was just short of torture!

Silas grit his teeth. It disgusted him as well, but what could he do? Everyone was here and watching. 

Moody kept bouncing the ferret. A pained squeal came from the delicate animal and Silas bared his teeth and flicked his wand, keeping it down by his side. He could only do a few non-verbal spells and this one wasn't one he’d tried before, but it would _have_ to work. 

The ferret hit the ground and shimmered, returning Draco to his rightful human shape. Moody spun around, searching the crowd by Silas, looking for the one who had freed his victim. Just before the man's eyes landed on Silas, a voice cut across the silent Hall.

"What is going on here?" Professor McGonagall shoved through the crowd. “Moody! We never use transfiguration as a punishment! Did the Headmaster not discuss the rules with you? We give detentions! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," Moody growled, staring at Draco in dislike. "I know your father of old, boy… you tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son… you tell him that from me… Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

Draco glared defiantly up at the professor. "Yes."

"Another old friend.” Moody smiled, making the girls in the crowd gasp and lean away from the ghastly sight. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape… Come on, you…"

Professor McGonagall watched them go anxiously, a pinched look on her face as Moody grasped Draco by the upper arm and marched him down to the dungeons. 

The students broke into quiet mutterings and began to break up. Silas kept his face blank as he trailed after Ron and Hermione. Hermione had decided to forgo the library in favor of gossiping with her friends. They settled at the table, Neville shooting him a look of recognition and engaging Ron and Hermione so they didn't notice anything was different about Harry.

**Did you see that?** Gabriel fumed. **She didn't even punish Moody for what he did! She even let him take Malfoy off alone! If he had done that to a Gryffindor or anyone from any other House, Moody would have had hell to pay!**

**I know,** Silas acknowledged, sneering as Ron said, with a blissful expression, that he wanted to remember what had happened to Draco forever. 

“It’s wrong to transfigure someone, Ron,” Hermione cautioned.

**At least she has sense,** Gabriel said with an annoyed growl. **Tell Ron off!**

Silas shook his head. **No. I don't care what they think.**  

**xXxXxXx**

Harry blinked and found himself standing in front of Severus' door. He knocked and figured it must be after curfew. Severus let him in and quickly shut the door. The sitting room was warm, the fire in the hearth blazing. Harry smiled happily and went over to his favorite couch and curled up on the corner, closest to the fire. Severus smirked at him and took a seat in his favorite leather seat.

"Is Draco alright?" Harry asked. Severus lifted an eyebrow. "I was there when he and Ron got into a fight. A spell was cast and then I blacked-out. I only just now woke up, but Draco is the one who usually comes away from duels with my friends the worse for wear."

Severus inclined his head, dark anger coming off him in waves. "This time it wasn't your friends that roughed him up. Moody intervened after that first spell and transfigured him into a ferret. He slammed him into the floor repetitively until someone from the crowd took pity and turned him back into a human. McGonagall informed him that he is not to use transfiguration on students again and Moody brought Mr. Malfoy to me for further punishment."

"Oh, no." Harry was horrified. "Is he alright? Was he injured?"

"He had severe bruising that I took care of. He also had a cracked rib. That will take a few days to heal."

Harry shook his head, shocked. "Will Professor Moody get into trouble?"

"No. Of course not. He only injured a slimy Slytherin, after all,” Severus said bitterly. He rose quickly from his seat and poured himself a drink. 

Harry winced at his mentor's feelings of betrayal and helpless rage, but before Severus had even finished his drink, all the man's emotions were tucked away and he turned back to his student. 

"That is not what we are here to talk about."

"I'm still sorry,” Harry said softly.

"I know." Severus relaxed and took his seat. "I talked to the Headmaster. The spell he put on Gabriel is the combination of two inverted spells. An exorcism and the portkey spell. It gives the Headmaster the power to call Gabriel forth and keep Gabriel Out for as long as he wishes. He plans on putting you in perilous situations and calling 'his' warrior Out to deal with it and then tucking the powerful warrior away so that you return to the innocent and malleable boy when he doesn't need you to fight. He doesn't know that I freed Silas, of course, and he realizes that there is one more alter besides Gabriel and Harry. He thinks Sirius is the reason the new…” Severus trailed off as Harry's face paled and his green eyes opened wide. His mind caught up to his mouth and he realized what he had just said and wanted to curse. He had inadvertently told Harry was an alter. 

He had been distracted with the Moody-Draco issue being brought up and then was so intent on coming up with a plan that he had forgotten just who he was speaking to. He had gotten used to being with Silas. He mentally shook himself, feeling icy dread curl in his gut. "Harry…"

"I'm… I'm a…" Harry shook his head slowly, tears rolled down his cheeks. He looked up pleadingly at his mentor, begging him to take it back and make everything make sense again. "I'm not… an alter… right? I'm real…"

"Harry! Breathe!" Severus said sternly and leaned forward to capture the teen's slender hands. 

Harry did as he was told, grasping his teacher's hands desperately, his eyes never leaving Severus's. 

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't mean for you to find out like this."

Harry began to cry. "No."

“Yes," Severus said gently. "But you are as real as you ever were, Harry. Listen to me." He shook the boy gently and Harry obediently tried to calm himself so that he could hear. "Silas is the Core personality. You were born from him. You are a very large piece of him. You are real, as real as Gabriel and Rose and Boy and Kitten. You aren't make believe and neither are they. Their feelings and experiences are true. Silas made you Host. That means that you are the one who is conscious most often. You are the one that lives day-to-day. That status allows you greater understanding and diversity in your personality than the others."

"But… but Silas is… I'm…" Harry bit his lip hard. "I don't understand… How long have you known?"

"I found out at the end of July, Harry,” Severus answered truthfully.

"So this is why…" Harry pulled away, his tears coming faster. He curled up over his legs and stared mournfully as his teacher. "This is why you've been spending so much time… time with Silas and not… not spending much time… with me. I'm not as… important as Silas."

"What?" Severus scowled. "What are you talking about?"

"You always come for Silas and then leave as soon as I come back. He's more real than me,” Harry pointed out.

"That's not true." Severus shook his head and came to sit next to the distraught teen. "I have been busy with school and I've been teaching Silas because I have come to question his judgment and hope to better it in the future." 

Harry turned his face away, not believing him. 

"Harry, you are as real and as important as Silas. All of the alters are important."

"Are you trying to get Silas to accept me back?" Harry asked. "Am I going to disappear? I… I don't want to die."

"Harry!" Severus pulled him into a hug. Desperate times call for desperate measures. "I would never let you die! Do you hear me? Never! I have _not_ discussed merging anyone with Silas. I would have talked to you about it first."

Harry huddled in Severus' embrace and sobbed. He was frightened and suddenly felt threatened. He loved Severus and Neville, Remus and Sirius. He didn't want to leave them, but he loved Silas and Gabriel, too. He didn't want them to suffer. He was just so confused and hurt. He felt a warm pressure at the back of his head and soft words.

**Harry, don't be upset,** Gabriel said. **We wouldn't do that to you. You'll never disappear.**

**Is Rose gone, Harry?** Silas asked gently. **Have we not always taken care of you and let you make most of the decisions? We intervene now and then but not very often.**

That was true. They did always consider his opinions and let him make the decisions. Like with telling Ron and Hermione about the Dursleys. Silas didn't want to, but he had let Harry do it because Harry thought it was best. And Rose wasn't gone. He was Rose as well as Harry. She lived within him always, but if he wasn't the Core, why did they care so much about what he thought and wanted. 

"Why?"

**Because, Harry,** Gabriel answered, **you're our Host. We trust you and love you. We want to protect you and make you happy. You are our heart.**

Severus thought the question was for him and answered, "Silas feared to be rejected and persecuted for who he was, so he created you out of his purest intentions and motivations to protect him and to give you a chance to experience life without prejudice."

**I am an alter, too, Harry.** Silas sighed. **We are all alters because none of us are whole. I am Core alter. You are Host alter. And Gabriel ad Boy are Guardian alters. Demon… Well, Demon is a Dark alter. I am not more important than you. We are the same.**

"What happens when we unite?" Harry asked timidly.

"Then you will be one person,” Severus answered simply. "There is a long way to go before we come to that point." Severus pulled away and looked down at the teen's tear-soaked face. "Are you alright?" 

Harry nodded tiredly. 

"I will order us cocoa."

Harry smiled as the man got up and went to the fire place. He leaned against the couch and closed his eyes. It felt weird to know he was born from Silas. He was their heart? He felt proud that he was protecting them and that he was needed, but he also felt sad. He knew something bad had happened to him at the Dursleys besides being made to feel his family's hate and to be their slave. Boy guarded those memories and experiences and he was a mess because of them.

Another alter had been a mess: Kitten. He couldn't remember her very much. He just knew that it was horrible and hard to deal with. He knew he had helped but somewhere along the line he had forgotten about her and what she stood for. Silas must have taken those memories and scars from him. Silas and Gabriel were always protecting him like he was their younger brother. And in a way he _was_ Silas' little brother, having come from him. It was weird. Finally knowing all this made him feel both strong and weak.

**Why can we talk to each other like this now?** he asked, concentrating inward.

**Because now you know and that knowledge lowered the barrier you held between us,** Silas answered.

**Silas and I have always been able to talk like this when one of us was Out,** Gabriel added.

**Does that mean when I come In, I'll be able to watch what you guys are doing?**

**No,** Silas said gently. **As Host, you have to be… protected. We come Out to deal with situations that you can't handle. It would be pointless to have us otherwise.**

**But I don't have you. You have me,** Harry said tearfully. **I'm so confused.**

**Nothing has changed,** Gabriel said firmly. **Nothing. Only now we can talk to you if you really want us to. You can mute us again if you wish. It's all about control. You know how to Occlude. Just do it Inside as well as Out when you don't want to hear us.**

"Here." Severus handed the teen the warm mug of cocoa and took a seat across from him. "I'm sorry you felt I was ignoring you in favor of Silas. It isn't true, and now that we are living together again we will see more of each other. I have made a deal with the castle and the headmaster will not be aware of you leaving the dorms after curfew to come see me. He has ordered me to come to him every time I've spoken with you, so I cannot give you detentions like I did last year."

"I understand,” Harry said softly, sipping at his drink.

"Harry…" Severus was at a loss, but he suddenly knew just what to do. "Lower your barriers."

Harry looked up confused. "What?"

Severus nodded sharply. "Do it."

Harry did as he was told. Instantly he felt his mentor's care and regret, worry and determination. You couldn't lie with your emotions. At least not easily. Harry smiled at his teacher happily. There was no doubt that Severus cared for him and was determined to protect him as well as the other alters. Gabriel was right. Nothing had changed. None of the important things had anyway. He could also feel Severus' worry. Harry didn't want to worry anyone, so he buried his hurt and smiled. He got up and went to his teacher, hugging him tight.

"Thank you, Severus. I love you." Severus let him, but Harry smiled as he felt a strong wave of embarrassment wash over them both. He pulled away and wiped at his face as he went back to his couch. "How did you get the castle to do that?"

Very grateful to change the subject, Severus explained, "It seems the Hogwarts phantoms are not happy with the Headmaster's guardianship. They have woken and are evaluating him. I have promised my help, as well as bringing fresh stone to reinforce some of the weaker areas of the castle. In exchange, they will keep the Headmaster ignorant of your whereabouts after curfew. But that means he can still sense where you are during the day, and if someone were to tell him you've been missing, I can't prevent that either. I know Silas is good with illusions. I believe having him make an illusion of you sleeping as well as casting a mild sleeping spell on your dorm mates should be an adequate defense. No one will see you under your invisibility cloak as you come down here."

“Okay," Harry agreed. "But do you know how to take off the spell on Gabriel?"

"I do not." Severus shook his head. "But I will. The Headmaster crafted a new spell. I will have to study if for a while before I understand how to undo it. Until then, we need the headmaster distracted from you. It should not be difficult once the other schools arrive. He will have much to deal with, but until then we need to think of something to keep him busy and away from you."

**Maybe something to do with the Ministry? It's in an upheaval right now anyway. It would be easy to stir it up some more,** Silas said thoughtfully.

"Maybe something to do with the Ministry?" Harry repeated dutifully.

"Maybe. I will have to think on it." Severus nodded. "We can't decide on anything tonight. How are you feeling? Was your last week at home enjoyable?"

"It was." Harry smiled. "Sirius worked hard with Boy and Gabriel. He was really upset that Gabe kept beating him in a duel."

"We will have to continue working with Boy. Perhaps on the weekends for an hour or two."

"I did have something I wanted to tell you,” Harry remembered. He folded his hands in his lap nervously. Now that he knew Silas was the Core, he felt incredibly guilty for going against the Slytherin's wishes.

**Harry, stop it,** Silas hissed angrily. **If I really didn't want it to happen, I would have been more forceful. It doesn't really matter. They're your friends. I don't care what you do with them. But if they betray us, I will get revenge.**

"What is it?" Severus asked worriedly.

Harry had to think for a moment to remember where he was in the conversation with Severus. "I thought that Hermione and Ron might… not do anything wrong if they understood better why I do the things I do." He looked up at his mentor through long lashes and messy bangs. "I told them about the abuse with the Dursleys, but I didn't tell them about my condition."

"I see." Severus looked at the teen thoughtfully. "They are your friends, Harry. I must admit I am not comfortable with the idea of them knowing everything. They are young and their reliability is questionable, but you must do what you feel is best." 

Harry smiled weakly, his eyes clouded with uncertainty. 

Severus decided to move past that for now. "May I ask how they reacted?"

"Hermione was really upset. She's really disappointed in Dumbledore. She looked up to him a lot. She’s finding it hard to accept that he's done some of the things he has. Ron was mad for me. He wants to help. Neville is watching them. I don't think he trusts them completely either… They saw Professor McGonagall lead me away when we arrived. They asked me what happened and I told them that he questioned me while wearing a glamour and then gave me a lemon drop that made me pass out. I said I woke in the Hospital Wing and that you were there because Madam Pomfrey couldn't wake me and she needed your help."

Severus crossed his legs thoughtfully. "I bet Ms. Granger was very upset at the news."

"She was,” Harry agreed and sighed. "I really don't like getting them so upset and worried, but they were so upset I wasn't telling them things and Hermione wouldn't have told the headmaster where I was if she understood what I was running from."

"Perhaps not,” Severus agreed. "It is best they know the truth, in any case. The headmaster will target them because they are close to you. At least they now have some warning.” He pinned the teen with a laser-like look. "Do you feel like playing a bit before you go to bed? I haven't heard you play in a while."

Harry bit his lip. He was still torn up over being an alter and wasn't sure he could handle playing right now. He knew if he did his hurt would be made known to his mentor and he didn't want Severus to worry. He didn't doubt that Severus cared about him, but he still felt lost. 

Did Severus care for him because he was a reflection of Silas? No. Severus had cared before he learned Silas was the Core. But… Did Harry really care for Severus? Silas was pretty ambivalent about everyone, so did that mean Harry's love for his new family and friends was exaggerated and not true? 

“No,” he finally said. “I think I’ll go back to the dorm.”

Severus inclined his head, saying nothing as Harry gave him a little wave and slipped out of his rooms.

**Chapter end.**


	33. Lessons: Inside and Out

**A/N:** It’s my birthday the 19th! I thought I’d update and spread the cheer. :D

**Lessons: Inside and Out**

The next day passed uneventfully, except for Potions. As was traditional, Neville melted his cauldron, but this time he did it on purpose so Severus could give him a detention. He needed to have an uninterrupted lesson with Rowena Castle to help him train his Earth-elemental ability. So late Wednesday afternoon, Neville made his way to the Entrance Hall. Severus sneered loudly for the benefit of anyone happening to pass by that Neville could harvest some of the more difficult potions ingredients for him in the forest. That done, he swooped out the main doors and onto the school's grounds. 

He led the Gryffindor toward the Forbidden Forest and Neville followed silently. He didn't even question his teacher when they turned and followed the edge of the forest toward the back of the school. When they got to an area of the castle that had relatively few windows, Severus had them cut quickly back over the school grounds. They reached a wall to a courtyard. When Neville touched it at Severus' direction, a door appeared. Severus hurried them inside. The courtyard had a floor of smooth, bare earth with a few rosebushes along the walls. There were three benches and one old tree. Rowena stood in the center, waiting patiently.

"Neville! How nice to see you again!" the girl said happily, coming forward to hug him.

Neville now stood an inch taller than the girl and hugged her awkwardly. "Hello."

"How is the meditation going?" she asked as she sat gracefully and patted the ground in front of her. 

Neville blushed. "Better." 

Severus moved unobtrusively to a bench as the Gryffindor crossed his legs and sat where directed.

Rowena smiled. "Why don't we get started, then?vI'm going to drop into meditation with you. I will talk you through the beginnings of relinquishing the block you have on your magic."

"A block?" Neville asked, confused.

"An Elemental who doesn't realize the magic they possess will get confused. Their perceptions of magic is different than an average wizard, so what they are being told and taught does not match what they sense. In return, they push away the confusing sensations, leaving only the bare essentials of their magic for use. We are going to open that block now. Begin entering the meditative trance, but keep the knowledge that I will be talking to you in the back of your mind. I will need you to respond to me."

Neville shifted nervously and closed his eyes. “Okay." 

He hadn't practiced in almost a week and a half, but it came to him easily from all the hours he spent practicing with Severus. Slowly he let his preconceptions of self and reality break away, allowing his awareness to still and expand outward. This continued until he lost all thought and became only sensation.

From a distance, he heard a soft voice. It fell on him like rain and he understood every other drop, but the rain kept falling and he knew that was what he was supposed to do. Fall. Touch downward and feel. He didn’t want to. He had trained himself to look straight and toward the sky. It was like he was avoiding looking down at a great chasm that he knew would swallow him until he ceased to exist at all.

The fear threatened to pull him back toward his body, toward human awareness and out of the trance, so he let it go. There was no such thing as non-existence. Life didn't end. It just transformed into different things. 

He sunk into warmth and life and potential. He could feel the slow steady warmth flowing through roots and dirt; he could feel himself cradle a million pockets of life, some insects and some animals. He sheltered and provided for a huge city teaming with life and light, and every eternity the earth's heart beat, sending deep vibrations slowly rolling across the world.

It filled him until the roots became his veins, and it was his fingers pushing up to swallow the sunlight. It was his flesh sheltering and providing for the small, precious lives that lived within him. The slow pulse go his life filled the universe with living heat. He wiggled his fingers in joy, stretched and settled, deep and indomitable.

" _NEVILLE!_ "

The scream shattered his perceptions and the teen arched off the ground with an agonized gasp. He was trapped, small and fragile. Cold, so cold, and hands were pushing at him. He was weak and the setting sun… Why wasn't it filling him up? Primal terror, not knowing who or what he was…

"Neville!"

**xXxXxXx**

Severus watched as the two meditated. He had been waiting for almost two hours when the ground rolled gently and settled. The bushes grew and swelled, flushing with life. He was amazed but not yet aware something was wrong until Rowena's eyes opened and she gasped. Severus was running to her side before she said a word.

"I've lost him! He went too deep!"

He looked over at the teen who had slumped to the ground on his side. He wasn't breathing. Severus dove for him and brought his fingers to the boy's throat. There was no pulse. Snapping out his wand, Severus cast several Ennervate's, but they had no effect. Rowena was screaming the boy's name. Terrified and furious, Severus slammed his fists down on the teen's chest. Neville gasped and Severus was shoved aside as the boy began to panic. His eyes… Merlin, they were black; completely black with no whites, iris, or pupil. Sobbing and hyperventilating, Neville lashed out with his arms and legs. He clawed at the ground as if trying to burrow into it. Rowena was talking to him, trying to pin his limbs.

Neville slowly stopped fighting and whining in agony. His racing heart calmed and the black bled from his eyes. Rowena was cradling him, singing and rocking, and he lay limp in her arms. He was silent. He stared at the castle, but he could not really see it. Severus was shaken to his core. He had no idea what had just happened or what to do to fix it. The castle door opened and he jumped to his feet defensively. He feared the headmaster had sensed the strange magic and they were discovered.

Harry stared at him for only a moment before running to Neville's side. "Brother?" he asked, his voice quivering with fear. "Nev? Can you hear me?"

Rowena fell silent and Severus frowned as Harry began petting Neville's head. They could both feel Harry using magic from here, but the boy didn't have a wand and he wasn't speaking. Whatever he was doing, every pass of Harry's hand made Neville's eyes clear just a bit more.

Harry smiled down at his best friend as he continued to reverse his empathy to project calm and confidence. He had been on the way to dinner when he felt his brother's pain and insanity. There had been no mental boundaries, nothing to ground Neville's thoughts. The most instinctual knowledge of things like gravity was completely gone. It was a horrifying sensation. He had run as fast as he could and he was now trying to give Neville a foundation, remind him of boundaries and reality.

Neville reached for Harry and the teen grabbed his hand tightly. The panic and confusion slowly dissipated as memories trickled in. He remembered being human: a boy and wizard. Very slowly, he remembered who he was. It felt like shedding all four of his limbs and willingly getting into a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He cried, but he pulled the pieces of himself back together.

"Are you alright, Nev?" Harry whispered.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Harry,” Neville answered dully. He wanted more than anything to be with the Earth again. It was a screaming need that he could hardly think around.

"It'll pass, Neville,” Rowena said softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch you in time before you went too far. I promise it won't be like that ever again."

Harry gasped as Neville's emotions screamed into him from deep in his gut, but he never stopped petting his friend's hair. "He despairs. He wants to go back so badly. It's killing him to hold himself together."

"No!" Rowena clutched Neville to her. "Oh, no, sweetheart. You don't have to close yourself off again. Keep yourself open, but don't dissolve completely."

"Make a window, Longbottom,” Severus offered.

"Yes. Good idea. Make a window in your heart. Through that window will stream earth, life, and sunlight."

Neville looked desperate and confused, but Severus and Rowena coached him through leaving a link open between himself and the earth. His eyes widened in disbelief and joy. He could feel the slow heartbeat. He could feel the plants in the courtyard and the sun filled him once again. Rowena smiled down on them.

Severus scowled at the phantom. "That was a disaster."

"I'm sorry." Rowena's smile disappeared and she truly looked miserable. "It just happened so fast. He was resisting completely and then without warning he was diving past me and disappeared into the earth."

He glared at her. "It will not happen again."

“No," she promised. "It will not happen ever again."

"Good." He turned to look at the two Gryffindors who were still pulling themselves together. "Can you two stand?"

"Yes, sir." Harry got to his feet and reached down to help Neville up. The teen looked a wreck.

"Neville, you need a shower. Harry, you need to return to dinner. We don't want the Headmaster wondering where you are."

"Yes, Severus." Harry took Neville by the hand and led him back into the castle.

Severus stared accusingly at Rowena for a minute before following them. 

The phantom frowned and stared over at the vibrant roses blooming on the now very healthy bushes. Neville's power was deep, deeper than she had ever encountered, but she was certain nothing like this would happen again. Neville wouldn't fall so deeply now that he understood the risk. But it worried her. Harry had said Neville craved to return. Most Elementalists craved the connection to their element, but never that badly. She would have to be careful and watch the teen vigilantly.

**xXxXxXx**

Ron, Hermione (who was eating again but would glare at anyone who remarked on it), and Harry came back from dinner to find Neville still sitting by himself in front of the fire. Hermione frowned. She knew Neville had detention, but their friend was in a state of almost nervous collapse. Snape had gone too far. Evidently Ron agreed with her.

"You know why Snape is in such a foul mood, don't you?" he asked Harry as they watched Hermione teach Neville a Scouring Charm to remove the dirt he couldn't get out from under his fingernails. "It's ‘cause of Moody."

“Yeah," Harry agreed, but unlike Ron or Hermione he knew Snape's hostility toward the Defense Professor wasn't because of the supposed common knowledge that Severus wanted the DADA position. He knew the real reason Severus couldn't stand Moody was because the ex-Auror wouldn't stop harassing his Slytherins and none of the other professors were doing anything about it.

They'd occasionally scold the man or stare disapprovingly, but no one actually did anything about it. Not even Dumbledore. Harry was baffled by this behavior. He was aware of the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor, but he hadn't realized the Snake House was so universally ill-treated. He had always assumed Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were neutral. He had been wrong. They may not do anything to antagonize Slytherins themselves, but they would not step in on behalf of one when they would step in on behalf of a victimized Gryffindor.

Gabriel often grumbled angrily about this and asked to be let Out to call them on their prejudice, but Silas still thought it was a bad idea for Gabriel to come Out before they got the spell off him. Harry agreed, so the Gryffindor alter was left to grumble. Harry felt bad, but he couldn't yell at Moody like Gabriel wanted him to. He didn't want to upset _anyone_ , but he did what he could to try to encourage a more understanding perspective toward the Slytherin students. It was slow going, especially since all the upperclassmen that already had a class with Moody were impressed in the ex-Auror's favor.

Harry also didn't like the way Ron and Hermione spoke poorly of Severus, but when he tried to point all this out to them, they just said the Slytherins deserved it or said that it made up for the blatant favoritism of Severus toward his own House. They pointed out how the Slytherins were bullies and reminded Harry how much they cheated and fouled during Quidditch.

"I reckon Snape's a bit scared of him, you know?" Hermione said, coming over to sit with them.

Harry sighed. "I'm going to bed." 

Neville said he'd come, too, but Ron and Hermione just shook their heads at him with bemused smiles. They thought he was too nice for his own good.

Harry sighed again and went up to bed. As he sunk into bed and pulled his covers up to his chin, he considered talking to Neville about the topic that was constantly hovering at the back of his mind. He bit his lip. He wasn’t sure if he should be more upset or not upset at all about the discovery that he was an alter born from Silas, and he wanted to talk about it, but… He didn't want to add to Neville's burdens. He could feel the strain and fog of shock still lingering in his best-friend's mind.

"Nev?" he called gently.

"Yeah?" the other teen answered sleepily. "Wha?"

Harry chickened out. "Want to work on the Animagus Potion this weekend?"

Neville yawned and rolled over. "Sure."

"Night." Harry sighed silently and closed his eyes.

**xXxXxXx**

The next day the Fourth-year Gryffindors were buzzing with excitement. All the upperclassmen had been talking non-stop about how great Moody's classes were and it was their turn to have their first class with him that afternoon. Harry was actually pretty nervous about it, so was Neville, but all the others were practically bouncing in their seats they were so excited. 

The room descended into silence as the class held their breath, waiting anxiously for Professor Moody to arrive. Harry looked to his left and saw Neville staring down at his book. To Harry's right, Ron was turned halfway around in his seat so that he was facing the door at the back of the room. Hermione on Ron's other side was grumbling as she organized her parchment, ink, quill, and book in front of her.

Harry was about to say something to her, maybe ask about what she was studying so obsessively (she had almost been late for this class!) when he heard the clunk of Moody's wooden leg coming down the hall toward the classroom. The class became even stiller and almost everybody's eyes were on the door.

Moody entered, scowling at all of them, looking fearsome. "You can put those books away. You won't need them," he growled.

Excited glances passed around the room as they all bent to put away their books. Hermione kept out her parchment and quill, however. Harry smiled at her and she smiled back. Moody began to call roll, his normal eye scanning the list in front of him while the magical one rolled widely in its socket as it scanned the students and room. Morbidly impressed, most of the class pressed forward eagerly.

"Right then.” Moody put away the roll sheet and stood at sharp attention. "I've ha a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures – is that right?"

The class murmured assent.

"But you're behind – very behind – on dealing with curses. I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark – "

"What, aren't you staying?" Ron blurted out.

Moody stared at Ron, making the redhead sink a bit in his seat, before smiling widely. The class leaned away involuntarily. Moody's heavily scarred face looked even more frightening when he smiled than when he glared. 

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" The man came to stand right in front of the teen. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago… Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore." He gave a harsh laugh and clapped his hands before returning to the center of the room. "So – straight to it. Curses…"

The class grew more excited as Moody explained he'd not be molly-coddling them and that he had Dumbledore's permission to demonstrate some of the Darkest curses in existence. Lavender got caught passing a note and the class grew even more impressed as Moody displayed his ability to see through objects, for example the table hiding Lavender and Parvati's note. 

When questioned, Ron was able to name one of the Unforgivable Curses: the Imperius Curse.

"Ah, yes," Moody nodded appreciatively. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time." As he was talking, he was moving behind his desk. The class watched as he opened a drawer and took out a glass jar. Ron recoiled with a gasp as three spiders skulked around inside. Moody grinned at the class and caught one of the insects. "Watch closely," he said as he held the spider aloft in his palm. "Imperio!"

The spider began doing tricks that no spider would ever naturally perform. As it did gymnastics, the class laughed. Only Harry and Neville sat silent and solemn. They understood the implications. Moody was quick to demonstrate to the rest of the class how horrific the spell was, making the spider fling itself ruthlessly at the glass window, threatening to make it jump to it's death. The teenagers watched solemnly as he returned the spider to the jar.

"The Imperius Curse can be fought," he growled at the silent class. “I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked and everyone jumped. He stared out at them and then asked calmly, "Anyone know another Unforgivable?"

Hermione's hand flew into the air and so did Neville's. Harry was surprised. Not about Neville knowing the answer, Neville had long ago told him about his parents after all, but he was surprised that he was volunteering to speak up in class. It seemed Moody's intense teaching style had shaken his brother out of his numb state. In fact, Neville's looked surprised as well and he was about to put his hand down when Moody called on him.

"There's one – the Cruciatus Curse,” Neville answered in soft, clear voice.

"Your name's Longbottom?" Moody asked, his magical eye looking the teen up and down while the normal one bore into Neville's dark brown eyes.

Neville nodded nervously. Harry knew his friend didn't want it to be common knowledge about his parents, but Moody moved on without comment. Turning back to the class at large, he reached into the jar for the next spider. Ron jerked further back when the professor enlarged it to be the size of two fists.

"Crucio!"

At once the spider began to convulse in sharp agonized twitches. The desk rattled as it rocked and thrashed. Harry went pale and Neville began to breathe heavily. Time slowed. Seconds felt like hours as the spider continued to writhe in agony. Harry could almost imagine the screams that the spell would rip brutally from a human throat.

"Stop it!" Hermione called shrilly.

Her voice broke the spell and time resumed its normal course. The class was horrified. Harry knew his face was pale and a cold sweat has broken out on his brow. He looked over at Neville and found his best-friend staring blankly. He looked devoid of life and Harry could sense no emotion in him. Neville had retreated once again behind the numb insulation provided by his mind to protect him.

“Reducio," Moody muttered and the spider shrank back to its proper size. "Pain. You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse… That one was very popular once, too." He gently slipped the spider back into the jar where it twitched weakly. He looked around the class and waited for them to collect themselves. "Anyone know the last?"

"The Killing Curse,” Hermione answered shakily. No one else had volunteered. In fact, several people looked frightened, including Ron who turned to Harry worriedly. Harry's stared back, green eyes wide with trepidation.

“Ah." Moody came and stood in front of Harry. He looked down at the brunet with an almost gentle expression. "The Killing Curse. It's not nice. Not pleasant. And there's no counter-curse. There's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me."

Harry stared at him, his heart beginning to beat fast. He gripped the edge of the desk tightly. He felt light behind his eyes, not all there. Maybe he'd slip and another alter would come Out? But if he was afraid that would trigger Boy and he didn't want Boy to come Out when all his classmates and Professor Moody would be there to witness the terrorized alter.

Moody turned back to the desk and removed the last spider. As soon as the professor placed it on his desk, it tried to scuttle away as if knowing its fate. Ron grabbed Harry's hand under the desk as Moody yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of blinding green light and a rushing sound – instantly the spider rolled over onto its back unmarked but unmistakably dead. For a split second, Harry felt something respond, distant and deep, and cold swept through his soul. Then he was released and his brain kicked in again and a single thought rolled through his mind.

**So that was how Mum and Dad died.**

Fat tears burned his eyes and, for the first time, he really truly began to grieve his parents’ death. He hunched over his desk and brought his hands up to his face as he sobbed quietly. Neville had awoken enough to put an arm around him and Ron was rubbing his back, his face so pale every last freckle could be seen. Hermione sat shocked, hands trembling and mouth slightly open as she stared at the dead spider.

"The Killing Curse needs a powerful bit of magic behind it,” Moody explained, ignoring Harry's sobs for now. Half the class was able to drag their attention back to their professor, but the rest continued to either watch the spider or Harry. "You could all get your wands out now and point them at me and say the words and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed, but that doesn't matter. I'm not here to teach you how to do it. Now, if I'm not going to teach it to you and there is no counter-curse, then why am I showing it to you? _Because you need to know._ You've got to appreciate what the worst is. 

“CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he roared and the whole class jumped. Harry's head even snapped up, tears still pouring from his deep green eyes. "Now… those curses are called Unforgivable for a reason. The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. But most of all, you need to practice _constant, never-ceasing_ vigilance. Get out your quills… Copy this down…"

The rest of the class period was spent copying down notes on each Unforgivable. Neville and Harry sat leaning against each other, both lost in their own thoughts and realizations. The silence held until the bell rang and Moody dismissed them.

Most people were discussing the curses in awed voices – "Did you see it twitch?” and "…when he killed it – just like that!" They were talking about the lesson as if it were some kind of show, but Harry and his friends didn't find it entertaining in the least. They walked away shakily and stopped when they came to a stop halfway up the passage.

"Neville?" Hermione asked gently.

"Interesting lesson, wasn't it?" the teen answered, his voice high and thin. "I wonder what's for dinner, I'm – I'm starving, aren't you?"

"Nev…" Harry choked, unable to speak.

Hermione was hugging them both, but before she could ask why Neville had reacted so strongly, they heard the clunking noise of Moody approaching. All four of them went silent and Ron took a step forward so that he was in front of his friends protectively, but when Moody stopped in front of him and spoke, it was with a much gentler voice than any of them had heard him use before.

"It's alright, boys. Why don't you come up to my office? Come on… We can have a cup of tea…" 

Neville looked frightened at the prospect and Harry looked up at their professor with exhausted, grief-heavy eyes. 

Moody's magical eye quivered and almost defensively he said, "You've got to know. It seems harsh, maybe, _but you've got to know._ No point pretending… well… Come on, Longbottom, Potter. I've got some books that might interest you."

Hermione and Ron watched as their two friends were led upstairs by a gnarled hand on each boy's shoulder. Ron looked over at Hermione worriedly. "What do you think that's about?"

She continued to stare after them pensively. "I don't know."

"Some lesson, though, eh?" he asked, subtly guiding her away toward the Great Hall. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did the Killing Curse, the way that spider just _died_ , just snuffed it right – " Ron fell suddenly silent as he caught the dangerous look on Hermione's face. They walked the rest of the way without speaking.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas sat down on the couch and ran a slightly trembling hand through his hair. Gabriel looked pale and shaken as well. Both shot weary glances at Demon's heavy stone door. They had watched as Moody demonstrated the Unforgivables and both had been grimly silent as the Killing Curse had come. Neither had expected to hear Demon push on his door. Silas had jumped to his feet and thrown himself against the door, keeping it shut.

Gabriel slammed right next to him, helping as Boy began to wail. The child's cry of fear rose in pitch, never breaking off, sounding like a siren screaming of danger. Demon's door rattled once more before stilling as if nothing had changed. They had leaned against it for the rest of the class period just in case, but nothing happened. Demon was sleeping once more, dreaming hellish dreams of blood on his hands and death and destruction all around him.

"What was that?" Gabriel asked tightly.

"I can only guess, but I think Demon responded so strongly to the Killing Curse because that's what he is made from. The backwash of the spell awakened him and called him forward." Silas sat straight and tense. "Like calls to like."

"That's not good." Gabriel scowled. "I can't afford Demon coming Out in the middle of a battle with some bastard Death Eaters just because they start flinging around Killing Curses. He'd kill allies and innocents as well as the enemy."

Silas nodded. "But we were able to hold him in."

“True," Gabriel sighed.

"I haven't decided if I'm still talking to Severus, but I could ask him if there is anything we can do to subdue Demon."

"You're still mad at him for revealing the truth?" Gabriel lifted an eyebrow. "Harry had to know sooner or later."

Silas sneered. "Yes, but it was handled very inelegantly. How would you like such an important fact about your life to be made known to you because of a slip of the tongue?"

"I would rather know,” Gabriel insisted stubbornly. He uncrossed his arms and his blue eyes became serious. "Look, Sy. I think there are people who deserve anger more than Severus. How about Voldemort? Huh? Did you see what that spell did? He killed our parents, Sy! He needs to pay for that!"

"And you're going to punish him, are you?" Silas hissed, eyes slitted with anger.

"Don't tell me you don't care,” Gabriel growled.

"I care, but we won't gain anything by battling the Dark Lord. It won't get them back or make it so it didn't happen. All we'd be doing is risking ourselves."

"And preventing it from happening again,” Gabriel ground out. "Alright. We don't agree. Let’s leave that for now. How about Dumbledore? The bastard fucking put a spell on me! He's chained me up so he could use me!"

"We will remove the spell." Silas's voice was cold as ice. "And we will make sure nothing happens like that again. We need leverage or a way to protect ourselves from his power and influence."

Gabriel threw his hands up in frustration. ”Look, we were talking about Severus. I really don't think his actions warrants punishment. Annoyance, yes, but punishment's a little extreme."

Silas stared coldly, but he allowed the tension to roll off him. Fighting with the stupid Gryffindor would gain him nothing. Instead, he smiled wryly at the other alter. "Never thought you'd be such a staunch defender of the Head of Slytherin."

"Yeah, well…" Gabriel glared. "I can face the facts. Severus is on our side and he didn't intentionally hurt Harry."

“Alright," Silas conceded. "I recognize his usefulness. I won't punish him too severely."

"So you'll ask him about Demon?"

"I'll confer with him, yes." Silas nodded and reached up to tuck his silky hair behind his ear. "First, I think I'll visit the library. I have much to research. Your collar, the two spells Dumbledore reversed and blended, and now some kind of failsafe to keep Demon contained."

"Good luck!" Gabriel laughed, his anger bleeding away. He did not envying Silas the bookwork.

“Thanks," Silas sneered back.

**xXxXxXx**

Professor Moody's office was cluttered with all kinds of objects, books, and trunks. The man went behind his desk and sat down with a relieved sigh. He propped his crippled leg up and rubbed at it with one hand and gestured Harry and Neville to take the seats across from him. Harry and Neville did as they were told and were surprised at how comfortable they were.

"I'm sorry that you had to see the curses that have affected your lives,” Moody finally spoke. He waved his wand and dinner and tea appeared on the desk. He pushed some toward the teens and sat back. "War is a difficult and painful thing. Everyone loses something in a war, some more than most."

Harry gulped and stared at the hands in his lap. He couldn't stop imagining his parents, dead and unblemished, brought down by cold green light. Neville was feeling the intimate pain he always felt when he had to visit his parents and see them sitting there, drooling and unaware. 

Moody cleared his throat and captured the boys' attention. "I have heard high praise from Professor Sprout, Neville. She says she has never had a student as talented in Herbology as you are. Coming from Madam Sprout that is high praise indeed."

Neville blushed at the praise and looked away.

"I was pleased when I heard this,” Moody continued. "Go to that shelf over there. Do you see the book on top? The one with the brown cover. Grab it for me." Neville did as he was told and returned with the book. Moody waved for him to keep it. "I was given that book a long time ago and can't make heads or tails of it really. I've never been one for reading, much less plants. But I trust the person who gave it to me and they say it is very good. I want you to have it. Your hands are more capable than mine in the subject."

The numb cloud in Neville's mind was thinning and he gaped at his professor in surprise. "But, sir!"

"None of that,” Moody said firmly. "I don't need it, boy. You keep it for me and make good use of it."

Neville nodded and looked down at the cover: _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean._ He smiled brightly. "This is a good book, sir!"

"I'm glad." Moody smiled and turned his attention to Harry. The professor stared at him intently, his magical eye still for once. "It's not good to bottle up your pain, Potter. You should grieve. Even if you can't remember your parents, they were good people and there is no shame in mourning their loss."

Harry ducked his head, flushing.

Moody shifted his gaze to take in both of them. "Your parents would be proud of both of you. Neville, your mother loved plants and gardening. She would be impressed with your talent and would have taken pleasure in sharing in your knowledge. Your father would have laughed with you over your more clumsy moments. He was just like you when he was your age, but he grew out of it by the time he hit sixteen.

"Potter, you have accomplished great things at this school as Dumbledore tells me. Your parents would have been proud of that, but I think your mother and father would have been proudest of your friends. They always cherished loyalty and friendship above even bravery. Your care for your friends would make them proud."

Harry nodded, tears spilling down his face. Neville reached over to clasp his hand.

Moody nodded and abruptly stood. "I have a book here. It's dry reading about Aurors, but both your mother and father are mentioned several times."

Harry took the book and smiled sweetly. "Thank you."

Moody grunted, obviously uncomfortable, and changed the topic, drilling them about what they've learned in DADA over the past three years. When lunch was over, he released them and Neville and Harry left feeling much better than when they had walked in.

"Want to visit, Remus?" Neville asked, brown eyes warm for the first time in days.

"Sure." Harry smiled and followed his friend across the school to the History of Magic office.

Remus was very pleased to see them and hugged them both tightly. They brushed over Defense class, not wanting to get upset again, and explained what happened when Moody took them back to his office. Remus assured them both that Moody was absolutely correct about their parents and smiled as Neville eagerly began flipping though the book Moody had given him, stopping every other page to tell them something interesting. Remus smiled warmly and put a hand on Neville's head, leaving it there for several minutes. The teen smiled back at him and Harry luxuriated in the positive emotions, letting it dull his grief and worries.

They didn't return to the tower until almost curfew. Ron was sitting in the common room, working on Divination. Harry and Neville joined him and soon the boys were making up answers for their assignment. They laughed as they got more and more creative, squabbling good-naturedly over the best gloomy predictions.

It was actually a half-hour after curfew when Hermione climbed through the portrait hole. The boys had just finished their Divination and were yawning when she came over saying, "I've finished!"

"What's in the box?" Neville asked obligingly since she was lifting it for them to see.

"Funny you should ask." She smiled at them, opening the box and handing it over for them to see. Inside were about fifty badges, all of different colors, but all bearing the same letters: S.P.E.W.

"Spew?" Harry asked curiously.

"Not _spew_ ," she said impatiently. "It's S.P.E.W. Stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Never heard of it,” Ron admitted.

"Well, of course you haven't. I've only just started it."

"Yeah?" The redhead took up a badge to look at it more carefully. "How many members have you got?"

"Well – if you three join – four." She smiled and it wasn't pretty. The boys cringed away from her. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."

"Hermione – open your ears!" Ron cried, exasperated and throwing the badge back in the box in disgust. "They. Like. It. They _like_ being enslaved."

Hermione ignored him and continued to explain what each of their jobs would be and the short and long-term goals for the group. Harry and Neville shared a glance. On one hand, they knew Omi really did enjoy his life. On the other, enslavement was bad and there were some elves abused. Like Dobby had been.

"Maybe we can compromise,” Harry suggested, breaking into the argument between friends. "Really, Hermione, you can't expect elves to give up what they honestly enjoy doing. They like being attached to Households and taking care of people and the home, but you have a point that they are completely without choice and means to leave a family that is abusive. Maybe the goal shouldn't be to remove them from their duties, but to somehow come up with a way for elves to choose the family and have an option to leave and find a new family should they wish to."

"Harry's right." Neville supported his friend even though Hermione was glowering at them. "They would be insulted if you continue to campaign for them to be paid or given clothes. It would be like Harry paying you for doing research. You're his friend and you would help him if he needed it without money or other favors."

"Of course!" she huffed.

"Well, it's the same thing here,” Ron said smugly. "They honestly _care_ about their homes and the families they work for. They help because it makes them _happy_!"

"You could maybe watch the elves here,” Harry suggested. "Really watch them without judgment. See their culture and then find a way to make their lives better in a way they will appreciate."

"Fine!" Hermione huffed and grabbed her box. "I'll think about it."

The boys said nothing until their friend was well out of hearing range and up in the girl's dorm. Ron sighed in relief and clapped Harry on the back. "Good going, mate! I thought we were in for it for a moment there!"

Neville shook his head. "She means well, but sometimes she can be a bit overzealous. Remember all the classes she was taking last year? She almost killed herself doing that."

"And was biting our heads off for it!" Ron exclaimed. "Why do we always end up suffering right along with her?"

Harry shrugged with a small smile. "Cause she's our friend."

"Since when have you been so smart?" Ron laughed, grabbing Harry and ruffling his hair.

"Stop!" Harry laughed and shoved him away.

"Come on." Neville stood and reached down to pull Harry to his feet. "It's late."

"Yeah." Ron yawned and grinned. "I can't wait to see what Trelawney gives us for our assignment!"

**xXxXxXx**

That night, without waking any of his roommates, Silas snuck out of the dorm under the invisibility cloak and made his way to the library. The hallways were deserted and he easily avoided Filch. The library doors were locked, but he had long ago learned how to deal with the problem and a few minutes of subtle, untraceable spellwork later, he was slipping into the dark room and starting his research in earnest.

**Chapter end**


	34. Dangerous Games

**Dangerous Games**

The next morning Harry got a surprise at breakfast. Ron and Hermione were talking about their classes that day when a strange owl came swooping down and landed right in front of him. Harry opened the letter curiously and read it. His face became worried and he handed the letter to Neville. His friend met his eyes with equal concern.

"Who's it from?" Ron demanded.

Hermione leaned forward, just as curious.

“Sirius," Harry whispered. "He's coming because he's worried about the TriWizard Tournament. He thinks I'll be in danger with that many foreign wizards and witches hanging around and he wants to be close just in case."

"He's coming _back_?" Hermione was very surprised.

"But he could be caught!" Ron gasped. "Fudge will throw him back into Azkaban if they get a hold of him."

Hearing it out loud, Harry's guilt tripled. Sirius was putting himself in danger because of him. He shifted in his seat and stood. "I'll meet you guys in class."

"Where are you going?" Ron asked, standing as well.

"I'm sorry; I'll meet you in class,” Harry repeated and hurried from the Hall. 

Ron and Hermione moved to follow, but Neville stopped them. He knew Harry wasn't ready to tell all his secrets and would need space to talk to whichever of their mentors he was going to see.

Harry hurried down the hallway, heading for Severus, but he was halted in his tracks when Silas spoke up. **The Headmaster can tell where you are during the day. If you go to Severus, Dumbledore will question him about what was discussed.**

**Oh.** Harry bit his lip. **What should I do?**

Silas sighed. After learning he was an alter, Harry felt like he had to give way to Silas, that the Slytherin's opinions meant more, and it was really getting on his nerves.

Gabriel knew this, of course, and cut in. **Why don't you go to Remus for now and go to Severus after curfew tonight when Godric is blocking Dumbledore from knowing where you are?**

Harry nodded and turned around. **Alright.**

**xXxXxXx**

"He what?" Remus read the note and frowned at it.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Yes." Remus looked up and smiled at him. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Padfoot can be stupid at times, but he is skilled with magic. I'll try and get a hold of him and warn him not to come."

"Thanks, Remus." Harry smiled and hugged him. "I don't want Sirius to get captured because of me."

"Even if he were captured, this isn't your fault, Harry." Remus looked down into his eyes. "I mean it. Don't blame yourself for his recklessness. He's a grown man and should know better." Harry nodded and Remus smiled. "Good. Now, don't worry about this. I'll do what I can."

"Okay." Harry smiled in relief and grabbed his bag. "I have to get to class. Thank you."

"No problem." Remus shooed him out of his office, wondering why Padfoot always had to find trouble.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry looked around carefully, but he saw no one. It was past curfew so most all of the students were in their common rooms. Satisfied, he pulled off his invisibility cloak and knocked on Severus' door. The Potion Master opened without a word and gestured him inside. Harry looked around the room. It was cluttered, which was unusual. There were books off their shelves and on the coffee table as well as the desk. Parchments sat next to them and there were bottles of ink in the strangest places. One bottle was sitting open on the mantle next to the round brandy bottle. Harry turned, looking up at his teacher questioningly.

"I've been researching the spells Dumbledore used,” Severus answered. He cleared the coffee table and gestured impatiently for Harry to sit on the sofa.

Harry did so, feeling the man's fatigue and frustration. He bit his lip. "I think… I think Silas has done some research, too. Maybe he could help you? If he wanted, that is." Harry felt heat sting his cheeks. He wanted to help Severus, but it was rude to volunteer the Core alter without asking first. **I'm sorry, Silas.**

**I was going to share what I learned with him anyway,** Silas drawled, unconcerned; though he did wish his Host would go back to calling him Sy. Harry needed to relax.

"That goes without saying." Severus sat with a tired sigh in his favorite chair. "I think I need a break, however. Tell me about your week."

"Well…" Harry folded his hands in his lap and looked toward the fire. He was glad for it. It wasn't quite cold yet outside, but down in the dungeons it was chilly. "I had my first class with Professor Moody. He demonstrated the Unforgivables on three spiders. Neville and I were… upset,” he said delicately and glanced shyly over at his teacher from of the corner of his eye.

“Understandable," Severus answered evenly.

Harry smiled as he felt his mentor's emotions fade and reverse into a waiting pool. Warmth built in his chest. He was so grateful that this man cared for him so much. He had to duck his head to hide sudden tears.

"Are you well?"

"I'm fine,” Harry answered honestly, lifting his face and smiling sweetly.

"I see." A faint frown of doubt brushed the dark-eyed man's lips.

"Really, I'm okay." Harry relaxed back into the cushions behind him. "It was sad to see the Killing Curse. I knew that's how my parents died, but seeing it was so different. I don't really think of them much." He blushed with shame. "And when I saw the spider die, I couldn't help thinking and picturing my mother and father." Harry looked back into the fire pensively. Severus sat patiently, waiting for him to speak again. "I wonder if they looked like they were just sleeping. I know the Killing Curse usually doesn't leave a mark…" He looked back at Severus. "Do you know where they were buried?"

“Their bodies were buried in the cemetery at Godric’s Hollow. The general feeling was that they'd want that since that was where they lived after you were born and that was the happiest time in their lives,” Severus answered softly.

"Oh." Harry ducked his head again, the grief welling up.

"Harry…" Severus wasn't sure what to say. He had never mourned his parents' passing.

"It's alright." Harry wiped at his face. "Really, it is. I'm being ridiculous."

"It is not ridiculous to mourn,” Severus said firmly, catching and holding the teen's eyes.

"But they've been gone all my life. I should be use to it by now,” Harry protested, blushing.

It was Severus' turn to look into the fire. When he spoke, his voice was low and melodious, it was impossible for Harry not to listen to him. "As I've come to understand things from our discussions about your childhood, the Dursleys never spoke highly of your parents. In fact, they never told you the truth about them. It is only since you have returned to the Wizarding World that you've begun to understand who your parents were. Naturally, it is like being told about strangers. You knew they were your parents, but you didn't really accept them as your mother and father. It would take a while until you stopped believing in the Dursley's lies, and then you had to believe yourself worthy of the kind and loving people you have come to learn your parents were. I think seeing the Killing Curse made you realize just what you have lost. Lily and James deserve to be mourned. Do not be ashamed of that grief, Harry."

By this point, Harry was crying again. He was curled up at the end of the couch, his face pressed against the arm. Severus sat with him silently, but that was alright. Harry didn't need him to say anymore or to hold him. He could feel the very soft waves of support flowing from his teacher and that was enough. It was almost peaceful.

"I was thinking," Severus said when Harry's cries stopped, "of adding daggers to Gabriel's combat lessons. The sword was a consideration, but it is relatively impractical as they are rarely used in duels any longer. The dagger, conversely, can be hidden on the person and used in close quarters to kill or distract an enemy who expects purely magical attacks."

"I'm sure he'd like that." Harry smiled as Gabriel's shout of enthusiasm echoed in his head. "But when will he be allowed Out?"

"Soon. I have almost come to an understanding of the spell Dumbledore has placed upon him,” Severus assured.

Harry nodded. "Do you want to talk to Silas now?"

"If you do not feel you still need my company,” Severus said haughtily, lifting his nose in the air.

Harry laughed and Severus smirked at him. "Oh, yeah!" Silas had just reminded him. "I got a letter from Sirius today. He read the article in the _Daily Prophet_ about the Tournament and he's going to find a hiding place closer to the school just incase I get in trouble and his help is needed. I already told Remus and he said he'd do what he could to make Sirius reconsider."

"That mutt is brain-dead,” Severus growled in annoyance.

"He's just worried,” Harry defended softly.

"I am aware,” Severus sneered.

Harry shook his head. "Well, I'm going now. Good luck and thank you very much."

Severus waved away the teen's gratitude, his face creased with irritation. 

Laughing silently, Harry fell back and slipped gently into dreams of music. Silas took his place, his expression accusing as he raised an eyebrow at the man across from him. 

Severus knew instantly why he was receiving such a look, but he had nothing to say to defend himself. There was no excuse for his slip of the tongue. He, more than anyone else, should not have made such a mistake. "How is he taking it?" he asked instead.

"Gabriel would give him an Exceeds Expectations,” Silas drawled. "I, however, am annoyed by his exponentially increased insecurity."

The Slytherin let Severus stew in silence for several more minutes before tactfully moving on to other subjects. Severus was grateful, though he didn't delude himself into believing he was forgiven. No. Silas would keep his transgression in reserve until such a time that it would be useful to bring up again in order to get something in return.

"My theory," Silas explained evenly, "based on the minimal research I have conducted about the possible function of the spell on Gabriel, is that it should not interfere with the natural process of switching In or Out. It should only act to draw him forward when summoned and anchor him Out until released by said summoner. There should be no damage should he come Out without said summoning."

"I agree." Severus nodded and strode across the room. His black robes were open causing them to look more like wings than normal and Gabriel snickered in their head. "I am more concerned about removing or breaking the spell." Severus showed him the paper. It held detailed notes and even a few diagrams. "The portkey spell binds into the very fabric of the object it is placed on. To destroy a portkey, you must destroy the object. That is not possible as Albus has manipulated the spell to attach to a spirit."

"And to tear it off or destroy it would injure or even kill Gabriel." Silas' voice was ice cold.

"That is what I fear,” Severus murmured. "There may be a way around it. I am researching the possibility of shifting the spell onto something else; a transfer, if you will. That would not tear or break the fabric of the spell, but this has not been tried before with portkeys."

"I understand. Do you want me to research the spirit aspect of the spell?"

"Yes. That would be helpful,” Severus agreed.

Silas nodded. "There is one other matter. When Professor Moody demonstrated the Killing Curse, Demon reacted strongly and it took both Gabriel and I to keep him from coming Out. I suspect the spell called to him because he was essentially born from the essence of the Killing Curse."

"This is not good news,” Severus said gravely. He felt a sudden chill of fear as he remembered the night Demon had conjured the powerful and destructive dark magic storm.

“No,” Silas agreed. "I've begun researching ways to subdue Demon, a way to create a failsafe to keep him from coming Out without permission. I haven't made much progress yet."

"I will assist in anyway I can. I'm sure we can come up with something."

Silas nodded and stood. "I'll be in the library then." He picked up the invisibility cloak, but he stopped when Severus grabbed his shoulder. The teen flinched violently and stood stiffly, face pale and breath ragged in his throat.

A vivid memory of Lockhart grabbing his shoulder just as Severus had assaulted him. Lockhart had wrapped him and turned him with a wide lecherous smile. Silas has stood in a passive stupor as his robes were removed. The feel of sweaty grasping hands along his skin made his stomach turn… 

Silas rode the flashback out, cold nausea curling in his stomach. He knew he couldn't push it away or he'd risk creating another alter. It took all his strength to not shove the greasy memories into a dark corner and forget about it. Instead he chanted that he was no longer trapped as an alter that had him mesmerized by every little sensation. He would never be used like that again. He knew better, was smarter and stronger. Deep breaths, he told himself and renewed his vow that he’d never let it happen again. He was safe from that much, at least.

Severus watched impassively as his pupil recovered himself. He was very aware sympathy would be seen as pity and violently rejected. He mentally made a note to himself to talk to Silas about his reaction to touch at a later date. Late at night and after a bad reaction was not the time, so instead he changed the topic to minimize Silas' vulnerability.

"We've agreed Gabriel will be fine coming Out. I see no reason why we cannot get a few hours of training in." He lifted an eyebrow in invitation.

Silas opened his mouth to respond only to fade In as Gabriel rushed Out. The Gryffindor alter had been straining his self-control to the max all that week and his eyes lit up in relief and delight as he rolled his shoulders and grinned. "So. Where are these daggers you were talking about?"

**xXxXxXx**

Saturday morning Harry and Neville snuck out of the dorm. The other boys were still sleeping and they didn't want to wake them. They didn't see Hermione in the common room and hurried through the portrait and up to an abandoned room near the Astronomy Tower. Severus had promised that he would set up a temporary potions lab there for them to use.

Carefully, the boys cut and diced, stirred, and watched the time. Every second had to be used wisely or the potion would not be right. Remus came up around lunch time and took over for a bit to give them time to eat. The boys thanked him profusely and watched their cauldrons nervously as they ate. In order for the potion to be effective, the person who was going to drink it had to make it, so they had to be careful not to let Remus work on them for too long or the potion would spoil. Harry's was neon blue right now and Neville's was a dark green.

An hour before dinner, the teens got to the part of the brewing where it was safe to put the potion in stasis. They cast the spell and gratefully went down to take a shower before hurrying to the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione spotted them halfway down to dinner and hurried over.

"Where have you two been?" Hermione snapped. "We were looking all over for you."

Ron frowned. "Yeah, mates. I wanted to ask if you wanted to fly about the pitch a bit with me and my brothers."

"We were working on a project,” Harry soothed. "We would have invited you, but we are in the middle, and until we're done with this stage it wouldn't be easy to get you caught up with us."

"What project?" Hermione asked eagerly, completely forgetting her anger.

Ron, however, groaned. "Not you, too! Who needs extra homework?"

"We'll be done with this stage after next weekend. I’ll tell you what we're doing then,” Harry offered.

"Why can't you tell us now?" Hermione demanded, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table between Ron and Harry. Neville sat at Harry's other side.

"Cause you'll want to join us and we can't spare the time to teach you what we've learned,” Neville answered.

"I could teach myself,” Hermione insisted. "I wouldn't get in the way until I was caught up."

Harry looked at Neville questioningly and the larger teen shrugged. Harry bit his lip and looked back to his friends. Ron was looking curious and hadn't even begun eating yet. **Silas? Gabe?** Harry questioned.

**They're your friends,** Silas answered coolly. Harry winced, knowing the Slytherin didn't really approve of them.

**I think you should warn them that it is against the rules first and see how they react.** **You don't want them telling on you!** Gabriel answered, glaring over at the Core alter. Silas shrugged and looked away from him.

"Well… you see… it's not exactly permitted,” Harry told his friends nervously.

Ron's eyes got wide and he leaned forward eagerly. "I won't tell. I swear!"

"Is it bad?" Hermione asked, doubtfully.

"Bad?" A voice across from them questioned and the four teens looked to see Fred and George had taken the empty seats there. "Harry would never do anything bad."

"But he might do something mischievous…"

"…devious and dangerous…"

"…something completely worth…"

"…getting involved with so let…"

"…us in on the secret plan, too."

"We want to help whatever the…"

"…risk. We swear upon everything…"

"…we hold dear we would never…"

"…betray you to the authorities."

"Well…" Harry opened his empathy and felt a surprisingly strong wave of affection and reliability from the cheerful twins. "Alright. Hermione?"

She nodded once, her brown eyes serious. "I trust you, Harry."

"About time,” Ron mumbled and she elbowed him hard in the ribs, making him gasp and cough.

Harry leaned forward and his friends all put their heads closer to his. "Neville and I have been studying the Animagus Transformation. Next weekend we'll finish the Animagus Revealing Potion to find out our animal. Then we can start researching it before beginning the actual casting of the transfiguration."

"We can give you our notes and the books we've been using if you want,” Neville offered.

"Wow!" Ron said excitedly, his blue eyes sparkling. "That's so cool!"

"It's a very complicated process,” Hermione said with just as much enthusiasm. "I've always wanted to study it, but there are no books in the library. It seems you have to be in seventh year before McGonagall will give you her books and help tutor you."

"We always did want to…"

"…try that spell. Not everyone can…"

"…do it, but I'm sure we all can. Especially, …"

"…if we help each other out."

"Remus and Sirius have been helping, too,” Harry explained; their enthusiasm contagious. "We've been working on it for almost two months already."

"Great!" the twins said in unison. "When can we begin?"

"After dinner, lets all meet in the library,” Neville recommended. "No one should be there on a Saturday night. We'll give you our notes and explain the process."

"Thanks, mate!" Ron nodded.

The six ate quickly and hurried back up to the Tower. After grabbing everything they needed, they went to the library and found a secluded corner. They spent a good three hours going over the material and explaining everything. Everyone was excited and they promised to work hard memorizing the process and thoroughly researching and understanding the transfiguration. They hoped to be ready to start brewing the potion by October.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas waited until he was sure everyone was sleeping before returning to the library to work on his own research. He worked for four hours and crept down to the dungeons around two in the morning. Severus was awake and waiting for him. They discussed what they had learned.

Severus had made great progress in his study of portkeys and had created a spell he thought would transfer the portkey spell to another object without damaging the first object. They would try it on random items tomorrow night. Silas was making progress studying the spirit aspect, but he still didn't know enough to feel confident about changing Severus' spell so that it affected portkeyed-spirits and not objects. Fortunately, that wouldn't become necessary until Severus actually succeeded in transferring the spell.

It was about three thirty when all of this was completed and Gabriel came Out for two hours of training, dueling with both wand and dagger. Severus was much faster and harder to defeat than Sirius. Gabriel felt exhausted and sweaty when the lessons were finished. Smiling happily, the Gryffindor made his way back to the Tower for a shower and bed.

Harry, completely ignorant of all this, woke around nine the next morning feeling rested as if he had slept the whole night through. He went down to breakfast with his friends before disappearing to work some more on the potion with Neville. Hermione, Ron, and the twins went up to the library to study. Hermione was very amused that the three redheaded boys were willing to do so on a Sunday, no less, but when they asked why she was laughing, she only shook her head at them.

**xXxXxXx**

It was lunch time and Harry and Neville smiled at the four as they groaned about the confusing and extremely complicated transfiguration they had committed to mastering. Harry knew through his empathy that none of them were even thinking of quitting. Neville could tell the same just by how they acted and grinned at Harry, who smiled back.

"Mr. Potter, you will go see the Headmaster after your meal,” a dark, sneering voice said.

"Yes, sir,” he answered faintly as he turned to look up at Severus. Worry churned in his gut. What had happened? Why did the headmaster want to see him? The dark-eyed man met his gaze and the teen felt how worried Severus was and it only made him more frightened.

Severus spun and stalked from the Great Hall, his robes flaring more than normal with his agitation.

"Greasy git,” Ron grumbled.

"What does Dumbledore want?" Hermione asked fretfully. "I swear I haven't told him anything."

Ron shook his head. “Me, either, mate."

"What do you guys mean?" Harry asked, looking from one to the other.

"He had us up for tea the other day,” Ron admitted. His eyes begged Hermione to help him out, but she was too upset. "He asked us how you were and if you talked to us about your summer. We said you hadn't and that we didn't feel right talking about you without you there. He said he understood."

"Did he use Legilimency?" Harry asked Gabriel's question obediently and bit his lip nervously.

"He wouldn't!" Hermione gasped, pleading with her eyes for him to say Dumbledore wouldn't go that far. 

Harry ducked his head, wincing at her sharp distress.

"Fraid he would, Hermione,” Fred spoke lowly.

"He tried it on us when he couldn't get through…

"…the telepathy blocking potion we had given Ron."

"But as we're twins, he couldn't…"

"…get through to us, either."

"Oh, no,” Hermione groaned, bringing her hand to her mouth. "What if he did? We didn't mean to tell him anything. Honest!"

"I know you didn't." Harry hugged her. "You don't really know everything, even if he did, and I don't think what you do know would get me hurt."

She nodded.

"I have a lesson in the courtyard,” Neville said quietly. "I'll see you guys tonight. Good luck, Harry."

"Be careful,” Harry said with dark, solemn eyes.

"You, too,” Neville answered worriedly.

The others said nothing as Harry stood and made his way to the Headmaster's office, and even if they had, he wouldn't have heard them. He was too busy listening to Silas and Gabriel argue.

**If I'm already Out, then he can't summon me,** Gabriel said pointedly. **So I should just confront him and demand him to release me.**

**And he's going to do that out of the kindness of his heart?** Silas hissed. **No way. You can't let him know that you know what he's done. You have to let him actually summon you before you can confront him about it, and besides you shouldn't confront him and make demands until you have something to actually threaten him with.**

Gabriel subsided, growling. 

Harry felt distinctly nervous and afraid. He wished Severus was there with him. As if he had heard his wish, the black-eyed professor stood waiting by the gargoyle with a fierce scowl on his face. Harry's legs almost gave out with his relief and he smiled up at his mentor with trembling lips.

"What took you so long, Potter?" Severus snapped.

In public, Severus had to treat him as if they weren't close – though he was much better than he had been in Harry's first and second year due to the fact that Dumbledore was aware they had come to some type of understanding during Harry's detentions. Even knowing this, however, it would have been hard to deal with his teacher speaking and acting so harsh toward him if it weren't for his empathy. It made him constantly aware of the truth about Severus' feelings. The concern and affection that often surrounded Harry when he opened up to Severus reassured him.

"Potter?" Severus asked sharply, concern rising off him like smoke.

Harry jerked out of his thoughts and smiled sheepishly, nodding his head to let his teacher know he was okay and as ready as he'd ever be for the confrontation ahead. Severus gave him a doubtful look, but he turned and began to climb the spiraling staircase. Harry followed, only hesitating a second.

"I've brought Potter, sir,” Severus sneered as he entered the office.

"Come now, Severus. Be kind." Dumbledore twinkled at them. "Thank you for bringing him. You may go now."

"What has he done this time?" Severus drawled coldly.

"Nothing, dear boy, nothing. I merely wished to talk to him."

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses and waited for the young man to walk stiffly out of his office. The old wizard turned his attention to the teen standing in front of his desk. Harry stood straight with his hands clasped in front of him and his eyes on the ground.

"Good afternoon, Harry. Have a seat."

Harry did as he was asked.

"I hope you've had an enjoyable first week back at school,” the man said affectionately.

"Yes, thanks, sir,” the teen answered softly, shyly peaking out from his bangs.

"Harry, do you remember second year?" Dumbledore smiled. "When you used Godric's Sword?"

White light flared silently behind Harry's eyes and he crumpled, unconscious, to the floor. 

Dumbledore stood and stared with shock at the small teen, but he relaxed when the boy groaned and got to his knees. 

Gabriel panted, trying hard not to vomit as hot pain throbbed behind his eyes. The room kept tilting and spinning and he wanted more than anything to curl up and lie still, but he could feel the old bastard's eyes on him and staggered to his feet with tightly gritted teeth. No way would he give the bastard the pleasure of seeing him weak.

"Are you well, Gabriel?" Dumbledore asked with deep concern.

"My head fucking hurts,” he spat, ignoring the tears of pain falling from his slitted eyes.

"I'm sorry, my boy. Here." He reached into his desk and pulled out a potion.

Gabriel backed away with a hot glare. "No way am I taking anything from you. What the hell did you do to me?"

"It is merely a way to ensure I am talking to you, my boy." Dumbledore set the potion down on his desk and met the teen's eyes. "I have much to share with you."

"You have much to make up for, you mean!" Gabriel aimed his wand. "Remove the spell."

"Don't fight me, Gabriel. You have a more important enemy: Voldemort. I can give you what you need to know to defeat him."

"Oh?" Gabriel fumed. "Why didn't you say that to start with? Why the spell, old man?"

"It's just a precaution, Gabriel. Please understand." Dumbledore stood and moved around the desk, but Gabriel wouldn't let him get within reach. Sighing, Dumbledore stopped and stared soberly down at the young teen. "You have a responsibility. Voldemort marked you and he won't stop until you are dead. I want to ensure that you are prepared to face him and win. That is why I put that spell on you. It is an advantage you can use. Nothing can make you retreat now until I free you."

"I don't need this or your delusions! The only reason why you did this is so you could have some control. You didn't do this for me, so stop lying to yourself, bastard!"

"Don't push me, child,” Dumbledore warned and his magic flared like a slap in the face. Gabriel bared his teeth furiously. "Without me, you will not survive this war. I know what is best."

"So you're an information-whore, not willing to spread your knowledge for free, and the price of my survival is to wear your leash." Gabriel laughed. "I think I can live without it! I have so far, no thanks to you."

Dumbledore went red, radiating power. 

Gabriel screamed, clutching his head as he fell to his knees. Helpless and unable to cope with the sensation, he felt his mind begin to crumble with insanity. He was trapped, pinned to the front of their skull, and he had no where to run, had no way to deal with the situation. There were no tools or techniques in Gabriel's psychological make-up that would allow him to cope. There was a grating noise, like metal on cement, as Gabriel broke and lashed out wildly. 

The power in the room violently reversed made Dumbledore stagger backward as his ears painfully popped. 

Mindless, Gabriel growled and began casting spells, tearing jagged gorges into the walls and floor, catching furniture on fire and shattering metal and glass instruments. The portraits were screaming and Dumbledore was roaring spells to contain the thrashing youth. He was able to finally hit the teen with a stunner and Gabriel crumpled to the ground once again.

"Rest with ease, my child,” Dumbledore groaned and fell back into his seat, breathing heavily. There was no doubt that Gabriel was powerful, but he was being impossible! He sighed in frustration and tugged at his beard, thinking furiously behind his hard, blue eyes.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas stared at Gabriel as the Gryffindor appeared in his bed. The red sheets absorbed the blood streaming from lacerated flesh. Bruises and burns decorated his skin and his clothes were torn to shreds. Their physical body may have been unharmed, but the mental wounds the forced consciousness had inflicted because Gabriel didn't have the means to handle the situation had been torture, and his projected body reflected that. 

Silas gently laid his fingers on the Gryffindor's fevered and sweat-soaked brow and over the metal band that still sizzled against Gabriel's skin. He stared grimly at his burnt fingers and disappeared.

**xXxXxXx**

Dumbledore's focus returned as the teen began to move. 

Gingerly, Silas lifted himself into a sitting position. His head hurt badly, but there was no damage otherwise. He kept his face lowered so that his bangs hid his icy eyes, but when he spoke, his voice was still sharp and smooth. Dumbledore's eyes sharpened warily, knowing he was dealing with the Slytherin.

"You miscalculated, Headmaster. Gabriel is a fighter. Give him a target and set him loose, but don't threaten him and make him helpless and expect him to sit calmly and talk strategy with you. That is my arena and you only succeeded in hurting him." Silas tilted his head. "Talk to me if you want to talk. Negotiate with me if you want to make deals. Leave Gabriel for the battlefield. I may be Slytherin, but I am not your enemy. I exist to keep Harry and Gabriel safe, to think of ways to achieve our goals without cost or pain. Surely you can respect that."

"I apologize,” Dumbledore murmured. "I never meant you harm."

Silas didn't dispute that ridiculous claim. He needed Dumbledore to trust him so that he could take his knowledge and then stab him in the back with it. Hopefully, he would even be able to puncture the man's rotting heart.

"Do you understand the consequences of your position as the Boy-Who-Lived?" the ancient wizard tested.

"I do,” Silas said with quick efficiency.

"You realize you must defeat Voldemort?"

"I will not allow the Dark Lord to destroy me,” Silas sneered, lifting his face so Dumbledore could see his hard, unforgiving eyes. They were eyes that knew too much, eyes that chilled even the hardest of hearts and Dumbledore wasn't an exception.

The old headmaster pushed away his unease and initiated a wandless, non-verbal Legilimency spell. Silas was aware of the intrusion at once and smoothly pulled what he wanted the headmaster to see in front of his impenetrable Occlumency shields. 

Dumbledore saw Silas’s antagonistic feelings for Voldemort, his unbreakable loyalty to Harry, and respect that was directed at him for his knowledge and power. (Though in truth, the respect he saw was for Severus. Silas had carefully grafted that emotion to an image of the headmaster. None of the other alters would have gotten away with it, for though they knew Occlumency, Silas was the best at it.)

Satisfied and greatly pleased, the headmaster stood and went to a mirror. He had misjudged Harry's Slytherin side and he silently rebuked himself for falling prey to the House prejudices. He was too old to do that. In fact, he had a Slytherin who had proven very loyal and invaluable in Severus, and he should have remembered that. He whispered a password and the wall began to turn, revealing a room with several bowls filled with silver water.

Dumbledore gestured for Silas to come stand beside him. "What I know, I will tell you, but I warn you, some of what I have deduced is from incomplete puzzle pieces. I may be wrong."

"But you think you're right?" Silas asked neutrally.

"Naturally I do, but as I have already proven to you, I make mistakes like the next man. In fact, being – forgive me – rather cleverer than most men, my mistakes tend to be correspondingly huger."

**Correspondingly huger?** Silas sneered silently. That wasn’t even correct English.

Dumbledore removed a Pensieve and brought it over to his desk. He set it down gently and looked over at the teen, standing respectively at his elbow. "You look worried," he said with a smile.

"Where are we going, sir?" Silas asked, not bothering to reply to the headmaster's comment.

"For a trip down Bob Ogden's memory lane." Dumbledore pulled a crystal bottle containing a swirling silvery-white substance from his pocket. "He was employed by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He died some time ago, but not before I had tracked him down and persuaded him to confide these recollections to me. We are about to accompany him on a visit he made in the course of his duties. But before we actually view this, I need you to swear a wizard's oath with me that you will not inform Harry of what you learn here tonight. It is for the best, and this would be a wasted endeavor if Harry lost his innocence."

Silas kept his disgust toward the headmaster's refusal to understand that they were ALL Harry and that the precious Harry Potter had lost his innocence long ago hidden. He swore the vow easily. There were dozens of ways around it.

Ignorant of Silas' treacherous thoughts, Dumbledore tipped the contents of the bottle into the Pensieve and gestured for the teen to put his head in. The Slytherin merely raised an eyebrow. The headmaster smiled, putting his face in first. Silas took a deep breath and followed. He watched silently as the scene at a rundown cottage with a father and two very inbred children played out. The only time he spoke was to confirm to Dumbledore that the men were occasionally speaking Parseltongue, though he didn't elaborate on exactly what was said and Dumbledore never asked.

"What happened to the girl at the cottage?" Silas asked casually as they returned to the headmaster's office. "Merope or whatever her name was."

"Oh, she survived,” Dumbledore answered as he sat behind his desk. He summoned a new, undamaged chair for Silas to sit in. "Ogden Apparated back to the Ministry and returned with reinforcements within fifteen minutes. Morfin and his father attempted to fight, but both were overpowered, removed from the cottage, and subsequently convicted by the Wizengamot. Morfin, who already had a record of Muggle attacks, was sentenced to three years in Azkaban. Marvolo, who had injured several Ministry employees in addition to Ogden, received six months."

"The girl called the man Tom and her father's name is Marvolo,” Silas drawled, wanting to move things along. "I'm guessing that filthy, abused girl is Voldemort's mother? The muggle that she was punished for liking is his father?"

"That's right." Dumbledore smiled in approval. "I am glad to see you're keeping up. Marvolo and his children were the last of the Gaunts, a very ancient Wizarding family noted for a vein of instability and violence that flourished through the generations due to their habit of marrying their own cousins."

"I would never have guessed that,” Silas sneered.

Dumbledore laughed. "Yes, well, lack of sense coupled with a great liking for grandeur meant that the family gold was squandered several generations before Marvolo was born. He, as you saw, was left in squalor and poverty, with a very nasty temper, a fantastic amount of arrogance and pride, and a couple of family heirlooms that he treasured just as much as his son and rather more than his daughter."

Silas shook his head. "I cannot believe the wealthy man would marry Merope."

"I think you are forgetting that Merope was a witch." Dumbledore smiled gently. "I do not believe that her magical powers appeared to their best advantage when she was being terrorized by her father. Once Marvolo and Morfin were safely in Azkaban, once she was able to give full rein to her abilities and to plot her escape from the desperate life she had led for eighteen years her powers were probably great indeed. Personally, I think she used a love potion to make him love her. I am sure it would have seemed romantic to Merope. In any case, within a few months of the scene we have just witnessed, the village of Little Hangleton enjoyed a tremendous scandal. You can imagine the gossip it caused when the squire's son ran off with the tramp's daughter.

"But the villagers' shock was nothing to Marvolo's. He returned from Azkaban, expecting to find his daughter dutifully awaiting his return with a hot meal ready on his table. Instead, he found a clear inch of dust and her note of farewell, explaining what she had done. From all that I have been able to discover, he never mentioned her name or existence from that time forth. The shock of her desertion may have contributed to his early death – or perhaps he has simply never learned to feed himself. Azkaban had greatly weakened him, and he did not live to see Morfin return to the cottage."

Silas sat silently. He was very aware that the love potion and what Marvolo did and felt after returning from Azkaban was pure speculation on the headmaster's part. Personally, Silas couldn't really see the man starving to death because he couldn't cook a meal for himself. Marvolo seemed the type to turn cannibal if he really had to. Granted, Azkaban is horrible and damages the sanity, but Silas had seen Sirius at his worst and he would have been able to survive on his own, and Sirius had been in the prison for twelve years not six months. However, he kept his own opinions to himself.

"As for Merope, within a few months of their runaway marriage, Tom Riddle reappeared at the manor house in Little Hangleton without his wife. The rumor flew around the neighborhood that he was talking of being hoodwinked and taken in. What he meant, I am sure, is that he had been under an enchantment that had now lifted, though I daresay he did not dare use those precise words for fear of being thought insane. When they heard what he was saying, however, the villagers guessed that Merope had lied to Tom Riddle, pretending that she was going to have his baby, and that he had married her for this reason."

Silas lifted an eyebrow. "He abandoned his son?"

"Yes and no." Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I'm not certain he even knew Merope was pregnant when he left. I believe Merope, who was deeply in love with her husband, could not bear to continue enslaving him by magical means. I believe that she made the choice to stop giving him the potion. Perhaps, besotted as she was, she had convinced herself that he would by now have fallen in love with her in return. If so, she was wrong. He left her, never saw her again, and never troubled to discover what became of his son."

They sat in silence for several long minutes after that. Dumbledore looked thoughtful, but Silas could tell he was pleased with himself. He hadn't expected Silas to be as pliable as he was presenting himself. The Slytherin kept his face cool and tried to ignore the infuriating tyrant. Again he thought Dumbledore's reasoning was severely flawed.

It was obvious the headmaster was a Gryffindor. First of all, why the hell would she stop controlling her husband and why didn't she just reinstate the slavery when he showed signs of rebelling? That love potion stuff was crap. He suspected something more along the lines of the Imperius Curse, and something had to have gone dreadfully wrong somewhere along the way for Tom to be able to get free and for Merope to be willing to let him go.

"I think that will do for today…?” Dumbledore left a space and looked at Silas questioningly.

“Silas," he answered reluctantly.

"It's time for dinner, my boy." Dumbledore smiled. "I appreciate your attention. I am pleased you are taking this so seriously. I know it must be difficult."

Silas bowed his head. "I am just grateful you were open to giving me a chance."

"Not at all, my boy, not at all." He beamed happily.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas waited patiently in their bed for the others to fall asleep. He had ignored Harry's friends when they had tried to press him about what happened to him up in the headmaster's office. Neville had come to his rescue, promising Harry would talk to them when he was ready. They accepted this reluctantly, but Silas didn't really care. Finally, the breathing around him became even and deep. He crept from his bed and pulled on their invisibility cloak.

Severus opened his door to him before he could even knock. Silas smiled grimly and took a seat as well as a hot mug of cocoa with a splash of whisky. It was the first time he had ever been offered a drink and he was thoroughly enjoying the warming and numbing effect as he related his experiences in the office. He had never vowed not to tell Severus what he had seen, after all.

"How is Gabriel?" Severus asked when Silas fell silent, chewing over this information and why Dumbledore wanted Silas to have it.

"Boy is actually stealing the memories that caused the trauma." Silas stared into the fire. "I believe Gabriel won't remember much past being summoned. Boy should finish by tomorrow morning and the Gryffindor will be recovered then."

Severus watched him for a moment. "And what do you believe is the purpose of the information Albus gave you?"

"I suppose anything we know about Voldemort could possibly give us an advantage over him in battle, but I'm not sure anything specifically useful was shown to me. He may be testing me still and not revealing the more pertinent issues yet. All I know is that his evaluations were faulty and naïve. I'm not sure whether Dumbledore believed what he was saying or was again testing me."

"I would venture that he actually believes what he told you about the motives involved,” Severus sneered. "In any case, he has the salient facts correct and that's all that matters really."

“Yes," Silas agreed. He looked over at their teacher. "If that's all, I think I should return to the Tower."

Severus nodded sharply and walked him to the door. "Should I tell Harry? I'm sure he'll ask what happened."

Silas shrugged and slipped into the dark corridors. 

Severus sighed and went to his desk. He had a few letters to write and a headmaster to distract with politics. Oh, yes, he smiled cruelly, the headmaster would get what was coming to him. All in good time.

**Chapter end. Please comment if you have questions or if you like how the story is going so far.**


	35. Study and Preparation

**Study and Preparation**

Gabriel was indeed better by Monday morning. The last thing he could remember was calling the headmaster an information-whore. Silas quickly filled him in on what happened, careful not to mention Gabriel's helplessness or the fact that Boy had to get involved. Instead, he said that the reason Gabriel was missing a few seconds of memory was because of the violent and enforced transfer. Silas told him that after Dumbledore got mad, he released Gabriel and Silas had come Out to try and manipulate the man and gather information.

This was the same story that Severus related to Harry and neither Harry nor Gabriel suspected there was more to the story. Harry didn't because he was predisposed to trusting, and Gabriel accepted it because there was a subconscious scab where Boy had very carefully removed the memories that had created the trauma and he instinctively didn't want to go anywhere near that wounded area.

As for the Gryffindors, Harry told them what he knew, but Silas pulled Neville aside privately after ensuring Gabriel was asleep and told him the truth. The boy could be a useful ally, especially as he was getting more powerful, but only if he knew what was really going on. Harry also told Remus his edited version, but Silas didn't correct the story. He figured Neville could tell him the truth if he thought it was necessary. As for Sirius, Harry decided not to say anything at all, since he wanted his godfather to return to Severus's house so he wouldn't get caught. Telling him he had been attacked by the headmaster wasn't the smartest way to achieve that goal.

The week passed slowly. Harry attended classes and helped his friends study the Animagus Transfiguration. At night, Silas would study for several hours in the library and Gabriel would come Out in the early morning hours to duel and train with Severus. Dumbledore didn't call them up for another meeting and in fact had missed dinner in the Great Hall twice.

Silas had questioned Severus about this, but the man had only answered cryptically that Dumbledore might be busy with things outside of the school for the time being. Gabriel was amused, but he wanted to know what was going on as much as Silas did. Neither of them could get Severus to talk, however.

There was no sign of Sirius and they received no more letters. Remus said he couldn't get a hold of him either, but told Harry not to worry. Remus knew most of the hiding places that were closest to Hogwarts and would keep his eyes on them. Harry was worried that the headmaster was absent because of Sirius, but Gabriel assured him that Severus would have told them if that had been the case. 

Silas wasn't so sure, but he didn't say so. He, personally, didn't care if the stupid mutt got caught. It was his own stupid mistake. Why should Sirius alone be exempt from the consequences of his actions? No one else was.

**xXxXxXx**

Saturday, September 13th, dawned and it was a very clear and crisp day. Harry could feel Neville's excitement and it was matched by his own. Today they would finish the potion and discover what animal they were. They told both Severus and Remus of this development and both men promised to come to their abandoned classroom to supervise the transformation after lunch. (Severus has promised more slave labor if Helga could get Godric to shield where he was from the headmaster for those two hours during the day.)

"Ready?" Remus smiled, his eyes warm with anticipation.

Neville nodded. "Yes."

"One at a time,” Severus ordered.

The teens shared a glance and Harry felt his best-friend's nervousness. "I'll go first," he offered. 

Neville sagged with relief. 

The green-eyed teen went to the middle of the room carrying a single mug of his blue potion. The others stood to the side and watched. Harry smiled and gulped it down. It tasted like mud and gristle. He almost gagged, but he forced it down all the way. It hit his stomach like lead and he dropped his cup as he stood hunched over his stomach.

Severus, Remus, and Neville watched as Harry's form began to blur. He shrank down and elongated in a smooth, flowing motion. Color from his jeans and T-shirt bled away into browns and off-whites. In less than a minute, a young adolescent deer was standing before them. It had long, boney legs and large brown eyes. A lighter brown surrounded his mussel and belly and he had about two inches of light grey antlers. Large, cupped ears twitched as the forest animal lifted its soft and gently shaped head to sniff at the air.

"Harry?" Severus asked. He was afraid the teen had lost himself in the animal's foreign senses and instincts.

The young deer shook its head and twitched its fluffy tail before carefully making its way over to the three humans. He reached and nuzzled Severus' stomach and rubbed the side of his soft head against Neville's chest. 

Remus laughed and reached to rub around the deer's antlers and ears. "Oh, Harry. You're beautiful."

Harry lipped at his hand happily, but he suddenly tensed. His large brown eyes rolled as he clumsily staggered backward. Severus reached for him, but the deer was blurring, shrinking, melting into the floor. The adults gasped and leveled their wands, preparing to cast any number of spells. It was too soon for the potion to wear off. Something was wrong.

A blank snake with a single white stripe sat on the floor. It reared and opened its mouth in a vicious hiss, the small fangs dangling threateningly. Neville squeaked and jerked backward and the two adults stood frozen. 

Severus was the first to speak. "That's a viper. Very poisonous and fast. No one move."

As if understanding, the snake smoothly slithered closer and curled up non-threateningly, watching them out of unblinking black eyes. Its tongue flickered.

"Silas?" Remus questioned, shocked.

The snake lifted its head and bobbed it once. Neville giggled nervously. Severus smiled and lowered his wand, but before he could say anything, the snake was blurring again. This time they didn't panic. They knew what was coming. The snake grew in every way possible. The black faded to a creamy golden color and a young puma stood in front of them with large golden eyes.

The feline stood at about mid-thigh, but his paws were as large as Severus' hand, fingers spread wide. The cat was far from done growing. Its body was lean and lanky, thin and graceful with every movement. Obviously delighted, the cat opened its mouth and screamed, sounding like a woman, and showing off impressive teeth. Flicking its ears and tail, the puma ran around the room and pounced at shadows, its long whiskers twitching playfully. Neville and Remus laughed and Severus muttered about idiotic Gryffindor's under his breath.

The cat stilled and began to shrink, his color bleaching out. When the transformation was complete, a small dove lay sprawled on the cold stone floor in the wild cat's place. Neville gasped as the beautiful bird cooed weakly in anguish. Remus gasped and stepped forward, but Severus grabbed his arm. There was nothing they could do for the beautiful bird, lying with two badly broken wings.

The painful cooing tore at their hearts and Neville began to cry as the bird flopped and shook on the floor. Remus had to look away. Severus stared at the wounded creature and a slow realization floated to the surface of his mind. His eyes widened with dread. If all the alters had their own animal and that animal reflected their mental condition, as was evident by the wounded bird, that meant Demon was next, and whatever he became, he'd be murderous.

"Move to the door. We must leave,” he said lowly, his hand gripped his wand so tightly his knuckles went white as memories of Dementors being torn asunder filled his mind.

Remus looked startled. "Why?"

"Now!" Severus bellowed.

Neville jumped in surprise and ran for the door. Severus was herding the reluctant Remus after him when they heard a low snarl from the corner. Severus spun around, wand drawn, and saw his worst fear. An all black werewolf was staring at them with bloodthirsty, glowing ruby eyes.

Its jaws were hanging slightly open and ropes of saliva hung and dripped from a muzzle filled with sharp teeth. The humanoid body was almost skeletal, but powerful muscles rolled beneath the velvety black fur. Yellowish claws on pawed hands dragged against the stone floor as the beast tensed to pounce. Remus stood stone-still, his eyes bright and his lips peeled back off his teeth in a silent snarl. Severus shoved him out the door and spelled it shut behind them.

Neville's eyes were wide with fear as the door shook as the werewolf threw himself against it. Snarls and vicious snaps sounded in the room. Howling and growling, the werewolf attacked the door and the teen was certain that at any moment the monster would break through and eat them. Severus stood, chanting repair and locking spells continuously, while Remus staggered against the far wall, his arms wrapped around himself, staring at the door with unblinking eyes.

It seemed to last forever. Neville's heart punched at his ribs and his hands shook. That was some part of Harry? How? Why? He had thought there was only three alters. Who was this fourth? And did he really want to know? He immediately felt guilty for that thought. Harry was his brother. How could he just ignore something like this?

Eventually, the sounds stopped. Severus waited a minute more before removing his spells and opening the door. Then he flung it wide and ran into the room. Neville glanced at Remus, who was still standing motionless, and followed him in. He gasped. Severus was cradling his friend in his arms. Harry looked like he had been beaten. His clothes were shredded and he had bruises already forming on his arms and shoulders. A few of his nails were ripped off his fingers. His face was cut, his lip split. Severus gently tipped healing potions into the teen's mouth and spelled the wounds clean and bandaged. 

Harry groaned and opened dazed green eyes. "Wha' was I? Why's it hurt?" he slurred.

"You were a young deer,” Severus answered softly. Neville blinked. He knew Severus cared for Harry a lot, but it always surprised him to see the man being so nice and gentle. "You can watch the recorded images later."

They had set up a recording spell on the room so that the boys could see themselves in their forms. Neville shuddered; he didn't want to see what the werewolf had done in the room. He turned to look as Remus slinked silently into the room and bit his lip worriedly. The full moon was next week and Remus had been looking sickly, but now he looked downright frail. He moved as if he had arthritis and his face was tight with strain.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked, deeply concerned.

"He'll be fine,” Severus answered. "Here."

Remus stared at the blue vial in Severus proffered hand, but he took it when Severus’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He swallowed mechanically, but the haunted look in his eyes eased and his body loosened.

"Wha's wrong?" Harry demanded. He was too tired to shield and the tension in the room was clawing at his brain.

"All of your alters had their own Animagus form. Demon included,” Severus answered softly.

"What?" Harry's eyes went wide. "Are you hurt?"

"No. We left the room before damage could be done,” Severus assured him. "Silas is a viper, Gabriel a puma, also known as a mountain lion. Boy was a dove with broken wings, and Demon…" He looked over at his colleague. "Demon was a werewolf."

Harry gasped. "Remus, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Harry… Who is Demon?" Remus shivered, but his eyes didn't look away from the teen.

"He's… well…" Harry looked beseechingly up at Severus.

"Demon was made from the residue of the Killing Curse the Dark Lord cast on Harry when he was a child. Instead of letting it make him sick or kill him, Harry isolated the taint. As the years progressed, he dumped all his anger at his abusers and life into that dark corner, creating an alter who is wrath personified. They call him Demon and he has only come Out twice. The second time was at the end of last year."

"The magic storm,” Remus breathed, horrorstruck.

Neville hugged Harry and said nothing. They sat together silently. Harry slowly healed as the potions started to work and used the time to pull himself emotionally back together. The adults weren't as resilient, but Neville was able to smile when Harry looked at him worriedly. 

The green-eyed teen smiled in relief and squeezed his hand. "Come on, Nev. Your turn!"

Severus and Remus stood and backed away with Harry as Neville produced his potion and chugged it down. The brown haired boy went rigid and slowly began to blur. Severus and Remus held their breath and Harry watched with wide eyes. Neville's form stretched and thinned until a young oak tree stood before them.

The long, uplifted branches had light green leaves that whispered as if a breeze sung through them. The bark was young and healthy. The exposed roots were long and extensive, though many were knotted together, and Severus suspected it would do well if planted in the right soil. The professors were shocked. They'd never heard of this before. The Animagus spell was just that, an animal transformation, and a tree was hardly an animal. For ten minutes, the young tee stood proud and unbending. The potion released its hold and Neville staggered and fell to his knees.

“Wow," he breathed.

"That was so cool!" Harry enthused, running to his side. "You were an oak, I think. You were so strong and tall!"

Neville blushed hotly.

Remus laughed and went to his side. "Yes. Very impressive, Nev. You're the first wizard in recorded history to achieve such a form from the Animagus Potion. You should be very proud."

"It felt… it was incredible,” Neville answered.

"Tell me about it." Harry smiled broadly. "I couldn't see too well as a deer, but the smells! I can't even explain what it was like. And moving was so simple. So easy."

"The patience I felt…" Neville shook his head. "It was like I could wait for eternity and everything held meaning and beauty. The air, the stone, the heat from your bodies…"

"I wonder what our animals represent,” Harry chatted excitedly. "I know oak is a strong tree."

Neville blushed again. "I'm not that strong."

"Of course you are,” Remus rebuked. "You can't deny the truth when it's staring you in the face, I'm afraid. You can't trick the potion and your form represents the deepest truth of who you are. And you, Neville, are an oak tree. It's known for its strength and endurance. I'm sure you'll learn more when you do your research, but basically you are more than your fears."

Neville hugged him, hiding his face. Harry joined the embrace. 

Severus sneered and began collecting the images recorded in the walls. It would be stored in memory format in his wand until he could place it in a Pensieve. The day had resulted in very startling realizations and he had much to think about, but for now he wouldn't disturb the three's happy moment. There would be time to face the implications of their forms later.

**xXxXxXx**

Neville and Harry made their way from the classroom and went in separate directions as the adults. There were a good two and a half hours before dinner and they had promised to meet their friends by the lake to tell them about their forms. They broke into a run, werewolf forgotten, as soon as they stepped outside into the late afternoon sunlight. Fred and George whooped and celebrated with them even before they knew what their forms were. Hermione demanded to be told, eyes bright with excitement.

"I bet you were a huge lion, right?" Ron demanded of Harry, putting him in a headlock. "Tell me, mate! I can't take the suspense!"

"Nah, I bet he was a mouse!" Fred laughed and pushed his brother off Harry.

"Neville's the little lion!" George added and poked said Gryffindor in the stomach.

"Tell us,” Hermione said, hands on hips.

"I was an oak tree,” Neville admitted, blushing hotly.

The four Gryffindor's fell silent. Ron was the first to speak. "You were a tree? Is that even possible?"

Fred shoved him. "Of course it's possible."

"He is one, isn't he?" George grinned.

Hermione looked fascinated. "I've never heard of that."

"Guess what I am?" Harry spoke up. He could feel Neville's nerves beginning to stretch tight and wanted to distract the others away from questioning him too closely. It worked beautifully. Their friends turned their attention to him and he was instantly bombarded with guesses.

"A bird,” Fred guessed.

"Gryffindor lion!" Ron shouted.

"A wolf,” George argued.

"Hmmm… something compassionate… maybe a porcupine. They are very soft and loving, but when frightened, they defend themselves with sharp armor."

"Noooo!" Harry laughed, his eyes sparkling. "I was a deer! Just like my father."

"He had big brown eyes, long stick legs, and tiny bubs for antlers,” Neville described. "He was really cute."

"Awww!" Hermione squealed and hugged her friend. "I can't wait to see you for myself! When will you be able to master the spell?"

"Well, we have to study our animals, both biologically and symbolically, and then we have to research and memorize the ending for the type of animal we are. It's different for mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians." Harry tapped his lip thoughtfully. "I guess we should have it done by Christmas."

"Sounds good to me,” Neville agreed. 

He wanted as much time as he could get. You only got one chance at this, and if you failed, you weren't able to try again. He wanted to do it right and he had no idea what he was going to have to do for a tree. The others weren't kidding. This had never been done before in recorded history, but maybe Rowena would help him. He had a feeling she would know what he needed to do to finish the Animagus Transfiguration.

"I still don't really understand." Ron frowned. "I mean, what we've been learning and memorizing is this huge incantation and ritual, but the Animagus I know don't even have to say anything to transform."

"Once you master the transfiguration, the process is laid over your magic permanently,” Hermione lectured. "Basically, it lies dormant and you just activate it with a flex of will whenever you wish."

"I bet we'll be monkeys,” Fred and George said together.

Ron grinned. "I'll be the lion, then."

"You'll probably be a goat,” Hermione sniffed.

The twins howled with laughter and Ron went bright red. "Well, you'll be a mother hen! Always clucking and telling people what to do!"

"I bet she'll be an owl or something smart,” Harry interrupted before his two friends began yelling at each other.

"Ron will be something like a wolf." Neville nodded. "They are playful, dangerous when wanting to be, and pack orientated."

"And you two probably will be monkeys." Harry laughed. "Smart, nimble, and affectionate."

The twins gave mock bows and came up with mud balls. Hermione shrieked in horror as one hit her right in the chest and Harry got pelted in the face. The green-eyed boy wiped it off and scooped up some mud from the lake's banks to throw back. Laughing and shouting, the six teenagers played at the lake edge. Neville eventually fell in and sat up to his waist in cold water. He spluttered and came roaring out of the water, tackling Ron and getting him just as wet. They didn't stop until they heard the school bell in the distance signaling dinner.

The three Forth-year boys had to wait patiently for the twins and Hermione to spell them clean and dry before heading up. They all wore smiles and were filled with enthusiasm about their own transformations. Tomorrow they would be holed up in the library studying while Neville and Harry researched their animals.

**xXxXxXx**

That night Silas crept to the library, talking to Gabriel as he went. **Everyone has an inner animal that represents their personalities and spirits, but that doesn't mean they can correctly cast the Animagus spell. As you know, it takes a lot of work, memorization, and understanding of magical theory on top of knowing as much about their animal as a veterinarian would. Just because Boy and Demon turned to animals under the potion doesn't mean they will be able to master the Animagus Transfiguration. I don't think it's possible for them, so we shouldn't worry about it. Only Harry, you, and I will be able to succeed and ever after transform at will.**

**So you're saying that we need to cast the Animagus spell three times? That just because Harry does it, you and me won't be able to change at will.**

**Exactly.** Silas nodded. **Just like only I can speak Parseltongue.** **If you and I want to be able to transform into our Animagus forms, we will, personally, have to successfully cast the Animagus Transfiguration spell.**

**Man…** Gabriel whined. **I can't remember all that stuff!** Silas laughed silently in their head and Gabriel pouted at him. **Seriously. I might be able to memorize the ritual and incantation, but knowing the biological details of my animal is far beyond my capabilities and you know it!**

**It will be tedious and your attention will wonder excessively, but I think you can do it if you really, really wanted to,** Silas answered and Gabriel lapsed into a sullen silence. The Slytherin ignored him easily and began researching about vipers.

When his allotted time for study was up, he place-marked the book he was using and headed toward the dungeons. He explained to Severus his theory about the Animagus Transfiguration. The Potion Master agreed and was relieved that the threat of a wild, rampaging werewolf who evidently didn't need a full moon to transform had diminished. Of course, they wouldn't know for sure until Harry was ready to try to cast the Animagus spell and see if it did or didn't allow all of them to transform.

As for their other research projects, they were growing closer to creating a spell to transfer a portkey from one object to another (so far every attempt had been a failure), and once they succeeded, they would be able to apply Silas' research and transfer the portkey from one spirit to another. As for creating a safeguard against Demon coming Out, it was going slower. They couldn't think of any spell or potion that would affect only Demon and not all of them.

It was almost four in the morning when they were done discussing their many projects and had run over into Gabriel's training time. So, naturally, the Gryffindor wasn't happy when he was finally released. Severus paid for it; the duel was bloody and both were left wounded. Gabriel was especially ruthless as he vented his frustration over the work that loomed in front of him due to the Animagus spell.

**xXxXxXx**

**Symbology of the Soul**

After a lot of research, Harry was ready to write the essay on the symbology of his Animagus form that Severus had assigned. He smiled across the library table at Neville and dipped his quill in ink.

xXxXxXx

_The Deer_

The deer represents the power of gentleness, keen observation, and sensitivity. Deer's are in tune with nature and all it holds. They are sacred carriers of peace and those with this Animagus often show those around them how to open their hearts and love unconditionally.

Deer protect their newborn from subtle outside influences, indicating a very nurturing person. A person with this Animagus will make good caretakers, parents, and healers. Fawns are born a color that protects and hides them from a predator's sight representing this person's natural ability to hide and blend in with their surroundings at a young age.

Deer are known for their large kind eyes, but they aren't weak. A deer's senses are acute and they see extremely well in low light. They can see between the shadows and detect subtle movements, representing that person's ability to understand the deeper meanings of things. Like a deer who can hear a twig snap in the far distance, anyone who has this Animagus can hear what is not being said.

Nimble and quick, deer Animagi are good at avoiding trouble, but those who grow antlers above five points have a hidden aggressive streak that will make them lower their head stubbornly to protect what they love and believe in. People with a deer Animagus are watchful and wary. They don't trust easy. They have a very child-like mentality. Like a child, when they do give their love and trust, it is unconditional.

xXxXxXx

Harry blew on the essay, pleased with himself. He was about to roll it up when Gabriel spoke.

**I want to write my symbology, too. I didn't do all that damn studying for nothing!**

**I also studied my symbology,** Silas said. **I looked up Boy's, as well. It wouldn't hurt to include it.**

**Alright.** Harry shrugged with a smile and fell backward into sleep. Gabriel came Out and took up the quill.

xXxXxXx

_Cougar_

Felines have certain qualities in common. They are associated with myth and lore, magic and mystery, nine lives, curiosity, independence, cleverness, unpredictability and healing. Because of their night vision, acute hearing, and high intelligence, they were used throughout history as guardians and protectors. In ancient Egypt, cats guarded the temple gates and were used to ward off evil and were always given special privileges and were treated like royalty. In Scandinavia, the cat stood for fertility. In India, it is a symbol of childbirth. It was once believed in Muggle culture that witches took the form of their cats at night.

Cats are fiercely independent. You can never own one: it allows you to take care of it and love it, but only on its terms. They come and go as they please, when they please. They symbolize a person who is independent, curious, clever, lucky, unpredictable, and a fierce fighter (especially when cornered). Cat also represents love and protection. If your Animagus is a feline, then you look for mystery in your life. You are independent and a free thinker. You probably feel energized at night. You will stay with a person or situation until it bores you and then you're gone. You have a great talent for thinking on the spot and a great deal of patience to stalk what you want. Those with this Animagus animal should also study its color, size, and breed for a deeper and more specific understanding.

In my case, the cougar, also known as the mountain lion and the puma, is very illusive and hard to find in the wild. The adult males weigh around one hundred seventy five pounds and are one of the fastest known animals, although it does tire quickly. This is partly due to the cougar's sporadic energy. When it pounces on its prey, it moves with short strong bursts of energy. They are powerful and agile and can leap over forty feet. They kill their prey with their bite or their claws. When it attacks, it does not hesitate. When threatened, it goes for the most vulnerable place.

Because of its illusive quality it is often noted as an animal that is independent, shy, and withdrawn. The same characteristics are often found in people with this Animagus. This Animagus' power, strength, and assertiveness are often misunderstood. Cougar represents a person who, despite their impulsiveness, has balanced intention, power, and strength surprisingly well. They are very territorial and decisive in the use of personal power. Cougar represents a person who is frequently a target for the problems of others.

The other side of cougar is its illusive quality. It can appear without being noticed, just as easily as attacking head on, and quietly take control of a situation. Their unpredictability can irritate those around them. Sometimes they get too comfortable entering into conflict with others. Those with a cougar Animagus often speak too sharply and hold on to something's too tightly, but they also make excellent teachers, leaders, and facilitators.

_The Snake_

Snake has been a symbol of life and sexuality for thousands of years in many cultures. They are fascinating creatures that deserve respect. Throughout history the snake has had many legends associated with it linking them to creation, fertility, and transformation. In Israel, the snake was regarded as the earth mother and played a beneficial role in fertility. In Egypt, the cobra was known for its ability to expand the upper neck into a disc shape by spreading its ribs which symbolized immortality. In Christian lore, the snake is seen rising from the chalice of St. John wound around a cross, sometimes portrayed with a woman's head to symbolize lust and temptation. In Eastern cultures, a snake rising up through the spine represents the life force being awakened.

Snake is an Animagus that represents power, renewal, and transmutation. One of snake's most noticeable characteristics is the regular shedding of its outer skin as it grows. Once the skin is shed, the old inner layer becomes the new outer layer and a new inner layer of skin begins to develop. Crawling out of its old skin is very significant for those with this Animagus. It is a metaphor for how we shed old ways and habits as we grow into higher spiritual energy, symbolizing the death and rebirth process. It is also associated with astral travel and out of body experiences.

The eyes of a snake are always open, protected by immobile transparent scales. Prior to shedding its skin, the snake's markings become obscure and the eyes appear opaque or blue. This gives it a trance like appearance as if it is looking right through you. Seeing into the hearts of others is part of what a person with a snake Animagus is good at.

Snakes are unable to produce their own body heat. They are often seen lying in the hot mid-day sun. The sun's warmth, coupled with the snake's behavior, regulates their body temperature. Not relying on the energy of food to generate body heat, they can survive on meager diets for extended periods of time. Those with this Animagus need very little food or sleep to energize themselves. They are self-reliant and hardly ever ask for either advice or guidance. They usually get cold easily and prefer warmer climates. Their body temperatures are often lower than normal.

Their lightweight and flexible bodies symbolize the speed and agility of this Animagi's thoughts. They are often very clever and intelligent people, but they never flaunt their knowledge. Snakes lack eardrums and external ear openings but have small bones in the head that conduct sound. They are able to hear low frequency sounds and sense vibrations that travel through the earth. This links them to secrets. Snake Animagi are people who are excellent secret keepers. They do not suffer the temptation to reveal their own secrets or the secrets of others. Only if revealing what they know will gain them something of equal value, will they speak.

Soundless in motion and invisible at rest, the snake is the symbol of a person who is a very deadly enemy. They hold grudges and their revenge often happens without warning. Conversely, as well as representing impending silent death, the snake symbolizes healing on a cellular level. A snake signifies a person who can adapt and change, a person who even welcomes change because they are always searching for ways to utilize the untapped power around them. Snake Animagi are often recognized for their creativity and wisdom. The snake is a powerful Animagus to have. It is the guardian of sacred places and the keeper of hidden knowledge.

Because most people with a snake Animagus are so secretive, the fine differences in personality between those who have different breeds are unknown. Luckily, most snake Animagus don't need outside help in understanding the symbolic intricacies of their form. Their superb grasp of self-understanding and intuition guide them.

_The Dove_

The dove is a member of the pigeon family and both hold the qualities of home, security, and maternal instincts. Many with this Animagus have experienced unsettling childhoods and will be challenged continually to acquire a solid secure foundation in all areas of their lives. The legends and lore surrounding the dove associates it with many goddesses and it is considered the embodiment of the maternal instinct. Home and family are important to those with this Animagus and life lessons will be most predominant in these areas.

The dove's song is its most distinctive feature. It can be heard throughout the day and the sad sound of the dove's coo reflects the hidden emotions stored within the person with this Animagus. It isn't easy for those with this Animagus to express themselves and they usually need help releasing their emotional discord, be it of the past or the present. Humming or singing is very frequently a comfort and means of healing for those with this Animagus.

Doves also symbolize promise and hope. Often times when morphing into their form, the dove will be injured or broken in some way. It isn't until it is fully healed that it can reach fulfill it's second meaning, but once they do dove Animagi embody peace and can heal people with just their presence. They have a powerful understanding of suffering and how to conquer it. They are often revered and held with great respect when they reach this state. They are seen as something other and are beloved and protected. They radiate happiness and quiet joy, but in order to reach this state, the dove Animagi must be healed on all levels. This can take years and may not even happen at all.

xXxXxXx

Silas set aside the quill and smiled in satisfaction. He smirked and fell back in, allowing Harry to return. The teen looked at the paper and smiled as he took in the three very different handwritings. He always thought it odd that his hand could write so differently just because a different alter was holding the quill. They were all still the same person essentially. Shrugging, he rolled up the scroll and put it in his bag. Now he had to start studying the really hard part: his animal's anatomy and physiology.

**x X x X x X x**

The next month passed quickly. Hermione turned fifteen and they had a small party in Gryffindor Tower. The boys made cards and streamers, and even chipped in to get her a pass to spend the day in the Ministry's library sometime next summer. She had a great time and forgave Harry and Ron for often doing little for her on her birthday in their previous years.

As for projects, the group continued to work hard on learning how to become Animagus. Hermione was already starting to study the process of making the Animagus Revealing Potion and should be able to brew it by the end of Christmas break. The three Weasley boys should be able to brew and drink their own by March.

Silas and Severus worked on transferring the portkey spell from one object to another, but still hadn't succeeded yet. They were close, very close. They had managed to transfer the spell, but the first object was still taking damage so it still needed work. And as for Demon, the best they could come up with to keep him locked in was modified Occlumency shields made by Silas, Gabriel, and Harry.

Neville had lessons in Earth-elemental magic with Rowena once a week. He came back from them numb, but the time it took him to recover was shortening each time. Dumbledore was still busy with whatever had grabbed his attention and he still hadn't called Harry to his office for a second visit. And on top of all this, school work had tripled. 

Remus had informed the class at the beginning of the year that there would be research projects every month that would take them a week to complete. They wouldn't have to come to class that week, and instead should spend that time in the library covering a topic of their choice as long as it related to the subject they were studying. Those who knew Remus were aware this was because he needed that week off to recover from the full moon, but they still learned a lot in his class and from these projects (not the least of which was _how_ to do a research project in the first place). What made it hard was that each project had to be longer and more in depth than the one previous.

There were two tests in Charms and Professor Flitwick had assigned them three extra books to read. Professor Trelawney was still assigning excruciating assignments and Ron, Neville, Harry, Seamus, and Dean worked together making-up most of their answers. Lying didn't hurt them, however. In fact, Trelawney often chose one of their homeworks to read and praise in class.

Severus had demanded Harry and Neville turn in an essay on the symbology of their Animagus forms, on top of their Potions homework of memorizing how to make several antidotes. They took this seriously because Severus had hinted that he would poison someone in the class sometime before Christmas. None of them wanted to be responsible for letting one of their classmates get sick.

**xXxXxXx**

Professor McGonagall explained why their academics had become so demanding when the class complained at the amount of homework. They wouldn't normally whine to their Head of House, but they thought it might get them some sympathy this time. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education." She frowned at them severely. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer."

"We don't take O.W.L.s till fifth year!" Dean exclaimed.

"Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to tern a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that your pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"

**xXxXxXx**

Even Hagrid was adding to the workload. Despite not discovering what the Blast-Ended Skrewts ate, they were growing remarkably fast. Hagrid was so excited about it that he had them coming down to his hut every other evening to observe them and record their findings. Draco naturally protested, but Hagrid's response to this rather routine and harmless defiance was rather surprising.

"Yeh'll do wha' yer told," he growled. "Or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book… I hear yeh make a good ferret, Malfoy."

The Gryffindors roared with laughter and Draco flushed with a scowl. Harry knew most would have taken his look for anger, but felt the boy's fear and deep mortification and couldn't stay silent.

"Hagrid!" he scolded. "You know that's not allowed. Professor McGonagall was deeply upset that Professor Moody did that. You shouldn't say such things. It's cruel!"

Surprise flared from Draco as shame rose over Hagrid. The big giant shifted bashfully on his huge feet and turned to the blonde boy. "I wouldn'ta hav' done it. I'm sorry, Malfoy. Just don' be talkin' back in class. Yeh'll do as yer told."

Draco sneered, but he didn't say anything. 

Satisfied he had done the right thing, Harry smiled to himself. Ron gave him a funny look and Hermione looked ashamed for laughing. Despite her belief in authorities taking a severe beating, she still respected the rules deeply and she was embarrassed to be caught supporting someone who was clearly stepping out of line.

**xXxXxXx**

Moody seemed to catch wind of the increased homework and decided not to give them more; instead he had them do another practical lesson, which he had refrained from since the demonstration of the three Unforgivables. Harry felt pretty nervous as they walked into his class on Thursday after hearing from the upper years that it had been intense. He had a faint hope that Moody would change his class plan for their year, but it wasn't to be. He came clunking into the room, his blue eye spinning wildly, and growled at them to put away their things.

"Today, I'll be testing you on the Imperius Curse. Let's see how well you do in resisting it after all we've covered."

So saying, he swept his wand at the front of the room and the desk and board went flying to the side with a loud bang, making almost everyone jump. Moody stood in the middle of the cleared off space and glared at the single hand in the air. Taking it as permission, Hermione began to speak.

"But – but you said its illegal, Professor. You said – to use it against another human was – "

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like. If you'd rather learn the hard way – when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely – fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

Hermione stammered that she didn't mean to say she didn't want to participate and sunk in her chair a bit. Ron grinned and Harry kicked his foot gently. The redhead sighed and stopped antagonizing her. Moody moved on and called up Dean Thomas. Dean stood straight and swaggered to the front of the room, stopping in front of their professor. He boldly met their teacher's eyes and the scarred hand lifted an equally battered wand.

“Imperio," Moody whispered.

Dean went limp but somehow remained standing. His eyes got huge and glassy. Moody grinned ferociously and whispered in their classmate's ear. The boy immediately strode to the nearest wall and began to hop on one leg and sing the national anthem. Moody didn't even wait for the teen to get finished and called up Lavender Brown.

Lavender looked frightened, but she walked up to their teacher. Hermione reached under the desk and clasped Harry's hand tightly. Again, the curse was cast and Lavender went limp as Dean before crouching and acting like a squirrel. Dean was still singing and hoping. No one laughed.

"Neville Longbottom,” Moody growled. As Neville made his way, trembling, to the front of the room, Moody yelled at the class, "Strength of will, people! You must _resist_ the curse. Does no one know what that MEANS? _Imperio!_ "

Neville went rigid for a split second before going limp. 

Moody growled, "Better." Then he leaned forward and whispered in his ear. 

Neville turned and flashed the class a confident smile, a smile that no one had ever seen on the teen's face naturally, and began doing a series of quite astonishing gymnastics. After several minutes, where everyone watched, cringing, waiting for Neville to trip and break his head, Moody cancelled the three spells. Dean, Lavender, and Neville stood blinking a bit. Then realization and reaction set in. Dean groaned, Neville blushed, and Lavender bit at her nails frantically.

"You must FIGHT the spell. You must KNOW YOURSELF!" Moody roared. "Ronald Weasley!"

Ron gulped and stood. He clasped Neville's shoulder as he passed and the teen only stared shakily back. Now distinctly nervous, Ron stood in front of their teacher and tried not to look away. Moody cast the spell and Ron went limp. He whispered and Ron spun around and ran to Lavender.

"Lavie, my love! I've been trying to tell you for weeks how I feel.” Ron sounded completely sincere and his eyes were full of honest passion. "You are the sweetest, most patient person I've ever met and I would be so happy if you would consent to date me."

Lavender had stopped chewing her nails in shock and now looked nervously to the teacher.

Moody scowled. "It is not easy to tell when someone is under this curse. They seem completely sincere in their actions because they honestly believe what they've been told."

He flicked his wand and Ron blinked, coming back to himself with a gasp. He turned blood red and stammered apologizes as he hurried back to his seat. The rest of the class laughed nervously at his antics. Ron ignored them and buried his face in his arms on his desk. Moody watched this impassively and called for Seamus Finnigan.

Seamus was made to think the desk was his enemy and with vicious curse words and heated screams of revenge, he proceeded to spell the desk into little bity pieces. Next was Hermione. Hermione tensed like Neville had, but she went limp like the others. She began braiding her hair and singing how pretty she was. Parvati Patil began spinning in circles like a ballerina and even when she looked like she'd get sick, she kept going.

"This is PATHETIC! Do you not LISTEN to anything I've been TELLING YOU?" Moody bellowed as he released the girls. Hermione helped Parvati to her seat as the girl couldn't walk straight. "CONSTANT VILIGANCE!" The class stared back at him solemnly and he growled, "Potter."

Harry was the last to go and he stood on shaking legs. He didn't want to do this. He really, really didn't.

**You'll do fine,** Gabriel encouraged. **You have us, don't you? Nothing to worry about.**

Harry nodded and stopped in front of the professor, his lip between his teeth nervously. He watched Moody cast the spell and suddenly he was aware of nothing at all and completely happy. It was the most wonderful feeling. He felt a floating sensation as every thought and worry in his head was wiped gently away, leaving nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. He stood there feeling immensely relaxed, only dimly aware of everyone watching him. A thought slowly dropped down on him, rippling across the happy haze of his mind.

… _jump onto the desk… jump onto the desk…_

He bent his legs and tensed, preparing to spring because he had to…

… _jump onto the desk…_

**No,** a second thought bubbled up from below. **Don't do it, Harry.**

**Really,** a third agreed. **That's stupid. Why should you?**

… _jump onto the desk…_

**No,** the second voice drawled again.

**I don't think he will, thanks,** the third chirped cheerfully.

Harry frowned, confused, but the second and third voices (he knew they weren't his thoughts now) were trustworthy, so he leaned on them and answered the first voice, **No. I don't really want to jump.**

_Jump! NOW!_

The next thing Harry felt was pain as he shins hit the desk and he toppled face first on top of it. He blinked away the tears of pain and realized he had done it. The curse was gone and he had resisted with the help of Silas and Gabriel. The pain was nothing to that realization and he smiled happily.

"Now, _that's_ more like it!" Moody shouted. "Look at that, you lot… Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention – watch his eyes, that's where you see it – very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling _you_! Now, come back up here and we'll do it until you can throw the curse off completely."

Harry obediently went back to the front of the room, nervously glancing at the class who were cheering him on. Ron, Dean, and Seamus were the loudest as they screamed, "You can do it, Harry!" Neville grinned, clapping along with Hermione. Harry smiled and turned his attention back to his teacher.

"Imperio!"

The fog was back and he was so very happy. It was so nice and peaceful and it was so pleasant to let go and float away.

… _get on your knees… get on your knees, Harry… Get On Your Knees…_

He was bending down, when the second voice came screaming from the depths. **I think not! Do Not get on your knees, Harry!**

**You bow to no one,** the third growled.

Harry hesitated and the first came screaming into his body and mind. _GET ON YOUR KNEES!_

**No!**

**No way!**

**No!** Harry echoed the two voices and pushed back at the first voice.

He blinked as the spell was lifted and realized he was sitting on his bum. Having already crouched and then fought, he had fallen backward. Moody was smiling at him and lecturing the class. Harry was happy, but his head was hurting and his shins hurt. Silas and Gabriel were indignant at the last request and he could feel their sharp-eyed dislike for the man in front of him and winced.

"Again, Potter. Imperio!"

**Bastard!** A voice came screaming across the pleasant numb, receptivity of Harry's mind and his brow wrinkled. **Don't listen to the voice, Harry! I don't care what he says!**

… _touch your toes… touch your toes… touch your toes…_

**Don't bother,** a second voice whispered. **You don't have to listen to him.**

**Okay,** Harry answered and pushed the whispered voice away. **Go away. I won't do what you say.**

**Way to go, Harry!** the voice he knew was Gabriel cheered.

**That was easy. Guess the trick was speaking to you before the intruder achieved any influence over you,** Silas said thoughtfully.

The spell ended and Moody beamed at the blinking teen before him. "You did it, boy! You completely blocked the Imperius Curse and after only three tries, too! Well done, Potter, well done!"

"Thank you, sir." Harry blushed and hurried to his seat. **Thank you, Silas, Gabe.**

**No problem!** Gabriel laughed.

"Alright, class. We'll try this again. This time FIGHT ME!" Moody yelled. "Dean Thomas!"

**xXxXxXx**

The stress of classes was beginning to weigh them down, on top of their voluntary extra study on the Animagus Transfiguration. So everyone was very relieved to be reminded why Quidditch had been canceled this year. On Monday, October 27th, a sign was posted in the Entrance Hall that read:

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMET**

THE DELEGATIONS FROM BEAUXBATONS AND

DURMSTRANG WILL BE ARRIVING AT 6 O'CLOCK

ON FRIDAY THE 30TH OF OCTOBER. LESSONS WILL

END HALF AN HOUR EARLY –

STUDENTS WILL RETURN THEIR BAGS AND BOOKS

TO THEIR DORMITORIES AND ASSEMBLE IN FRONT

OF THE CASTLE TO GREET OUR GUESTS BEFORE

THE WELCOMING FEAST.

"Brilliant!" Ron cried when he read it. "We have Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

"That's less than a week away!" Ernie Macmillan grinned excitedly, standing behind them. "I wonder if Cedric knows. Think I'll go tell him…"

"That idiot Hogwarts champion?" Ron scowled.

"He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch,” Hermione scolded. "I've heard he's a really good student – _and_ he's a perfect."

"You only like him because he's handsome,” Ron said scathingly.

Harry and Neville exchanged a look and sighed. These two had been fighting even more than normal lately. They carefully fell behind and decided to go see what Remus was doing, not wanting to listen to another heated argument.

**xXxXxXx**

When they went to breakfast the morning of the thirtieth, they discovered the school to be transformed over night. The castle was sparkling clean and the Great Hall was decorated elegantly with House banners. The four of them sat at the table across from Fred and George. The twins were conversing near silently and the four exchanged glances. The past week the twins hadn't been as available, busy with work and their plans.

"It's a bummer, all right,” George sighed loud enough for them to hear. "But if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked, but they were all curious. This was the first they had heard of something like this.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother,” George snapped ill-temperedly.

Harry intervened quickly, feeling hurt flare from his friend. "You two got any ideas on the TriWizard Tournament yet? Thought anymore about trying to enter?"

"We asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen…" Fred said.

"…but she wasn't telling. She just told us to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Neville asked worriedly.

"I bet we could do them,” Ron said confidently. "Harry, Hermione, and I have done dangerous stuff before."

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't." Fred laughed. "McGonagall says the champions…"

"…get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks, and not just whether they finish them or not."

"Who are the judges?" Harry wanted to know.

"Well, the headmasters of the participating schools are always on the panel,” Hermione answered knowledgeably. "Because all three of them were injured during the Tournament of 1792 when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on the rampage. It's all in _Hogwarts, A History_."

"Have you memorized that thing?" the twins asked in unison as the boys stared at her.

She huffed and ignored them. 

Laughing, the boys returned to their meals, but something caught Harry's eye. He noticed Hedwig was flying with the other post owls near the ceiling. As if feeling his gaze, the white owl dropped gracefully and landed on the table in front of him with a letter tied to her leg. Harry took it carefully and fed her some bacon.

_Dear Harry,_

_I've finally found a secure location close to you. Don't worry, it's well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, though, keep changing owls. Watch out for yourself, kiddo. Don't forget what I've taught you._

_Sirius_

Harry sighed and guessed that meant Remus couldn't talk Sirius in staying away. He really hoped his godfather didn't get caught. He didn't think he could stand for Sirius to go to prison again when he was innocent. 

Fred and George noticed his distress and began joking around to cheer him up.

The day passed uneventfully. The whole castle was buzzing with anticipation and the clock seemed to be going in slow motion. Teachers had to fight to keep their student's attention. There were several mistakes in Potions and Transfiguration, but luckily Dumbledore had forbidden detentions to be given on this day and no one was too severely punished for their distraction. Finally, six o'clock arrived and the whole school poured out to greet the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.

**Chapter end.**

**A/N:** How do you like them apples?


	36. Goblet of Fire, Rejection, and Acceptance

**Goblet of Fire, Rejection, and Acceptance**

"I don't believe it!" Ron said in a stunned voice as the Hogwarts students filed back into the school after the arrival of the foreign students. "Krum, Harry! _Viktor Krum_!"

Hermione rolled her eyes disdainfully. "For heaven's sake, Ron, he's only a Quidditch player."

Ron stuttered and stammered at her in incredulous shock as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. Harry and Neville were laughing, but the twins seemed as offended as their younger brother. They weren't the only ones. Students were practically drooling at Krum and searching for things the star could sign. One girl was sobbing when she realized she didn't have a quill on her.

In the end, Krum signed nothing and merely scowled at everyone. Durmstrang students sat with the Slytherins and Beauxbatons students sat with the Ravenclaws, much to Ron's disappointment. He was still staring mournfully at Krum when Dumbledore began speaking.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests!" he cried cheerfully, opening his arms expansively. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

Dinner took longer than normal to finish as there was so much food to try. Everything went smoothly, except for Ron tripping all over himself when a beautiful Beauxbatons girl came and asked him for a dish on their table. Only Harry, Hermione, and Neville seemed unaffected by her shimmering blonde hair and gorgeous smile. Hermione was instantly jealous and scathingly told Ron off for being such an idiot, but Harry and Neville suspected she must be part Veela as Ron wasn't the only one to seem enchanted with the girl.

When everyone was done eating, Dumbledore cleared the plates and introduced the two new arrivals, Barty Crouch Sr. and Ludo Bagman, and explained the power of the Goblet of Fire and the general rules of the three tasks. They wouldn't know exactly what the tasks would be until it was closer to the time to be completed. The students were silent as they took in what Dumbledore was saying.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament," Dumbledore went on calmly. "One from each participating school. The champions will be judged by their magical prowess, their daring, their powers of deduction, and, of course, their ability to cope with danger. The champion with the highest total after the third task will win the TriWizard Cup."

Dumbledore set the goblet on a stand in front of the staff table where all the students at the four House tables could see it easily. He explained the age line (you had to be seventeen or older to enter) and that they had twenty-four hours to enter. The three names would be drawn the very next night after the Halloween Feast.

"An Age Line!" Fred grinned. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it?"

"And once your name is chosen, you're obligated to compete! They can't stop us!" George finished.

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen stands a chance." Neville frowned. "It sounds really difficult."

"Speak for yourself." George glared. "We're competent and could really use the victory prize."

"You'll try to get in, won't you, Ron?" Fred leered.

Ron didn't answer. He was too busy staring at the Durmstrang students who were a bit ahead of them, trying to exit the Great Hall like everyone else. "Back to the ship,” Headmaster Karkaroff was calling to his students. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Krum shook his head silently in refusal as he pulled his furs back on.

"Professor, I vood like some vine," another student said hopefully.

"I wasn't offering it to you, Poliakoff,” Karkaroff spat. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy!"

Harry and his friends had stopped to let them exit first, seeing how Ron wasn't walking anyway, and Karkaroff nodded at them distractedly. He was almost past when he froze. He turned his head back to Harry and stared at him as though he couldn't believe his eyes. The Durmstrang students studied him curiously, and when they got to the scar on his head, they froze in equal disbelief as their headmaster.

"Yeah, that's Harry Potter,” Mad-Eye Moody growled at the Durmstrang students as he came up behind the still Gryffindors.

"You!" Karkaroff yelled, pale and frightened as he stared at Moody.

"Me." Moody grinned. "And unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

Karkaroff glanced once more at Harry and swept out of the hall in a way that reminded all the Hogwarts students of Snape, but it was a poor imitation at best. The Durmstrang students followed in grim silence. Harry looked to Moody for an explanation, but Moody was already walking away, returning to the staff table where the teachers still sat talking with Dumbledore.

**xXxXxXx**

The next morning Gryffindor laughed as the twins tried the Aging Potion and ended up with white hair and long beards and nowhere near getting their names in the goblet. The twins were taken to the infirmary and the rest of them decided that they would spend their Saturday morning down with Hagrid. They hadn't exactly spent time with him yet this year with everything that they were involved with.

"He fancies her!" Ron said incredulously as they made their way up to the castle, trailing behind Hagrid and the Headmistress of Beauxbatons. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record – bet any baby of theirs would weigh a ton."

"Don't be so insensitive, Ron,” Hermione chided. "I think they're sweet together."

Ron rolled his eyes. "You would."

The Great Hall looked incredible. There were floating pumpkins carved magnificently with candles glowing inside them, hundreds of white candles floated near the ceiling, and flying bats set a perfect mood. Still, everyone was too anxious to really enjoy the holiday treat and the feast seemed to take forever. The plates were finally spelled away and Dumbledore stood.

"Well, the goblet is about ready to make its decision. I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champion’s name is called, I would ask them to please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber" – he indicated the door behind him – "where they will receive their first instructions."

The students muttered excitedly as the blue fire licking out of the goblet stilled and then doubled in size, flaring red. Like ash, a piece of parchment fluttered away on a magical breeze and landed right into Dumbledore's hand. The chatter died instantly as the old wizard slowly unfolded the paper. Everyone held their breath.

"The champion for Durmstrang is… Viktor Krum!"

"No surprises there!" Ron yelled over the loud cheering filling the Hall.

Harry clapped good-naturedly and watched as Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouched up to Dumbledore with his slightly waddling walk. He turned as directed and walked along the staff table before disappearing through the door into the next chamber. The clapping and cheering would have gone on for many more minutes, but the Goblet was already flaring red again and another paper fluttered into the air.

"The champion for Beauxbatons is… Fleur Delacour!"

"It's her, Ron!" Fred grinned at his younger brother.

George batted his eyes. "Your lady love who adores your bouillabaisse."

Ron went red. "Shut up!"

The beautiful blonde girl walked gracefully to the staff table, her hips swaying just so. Many people's eyes were pinned on her perfect form and ideas of romance and passionate encounters filled their minds. Harry firmed his shields, but before he did, he noticed spikes of despair and powerful disappointment and looked over at the Ravenclaw table to see many of the Beauxbatons students in tears.

"They're all so disappointed." Hermione frowned in sympathy. "Do you think they'll have to go home now that they weren't chosen?"

The others shrugged and turned their attention to the front where the goblet had gone red and a third parchment danced out of its fiery depths. Dumbledore caught the paper and called, "The Hogwarts champion is… Cedric Diggory!"

Hufflepuff went wild, leaping to their feet and screaming their approval. Cedric looked stunned for a moment before grinning and making his way up to the staff table. Everyone clapped for him even though the other Houses were filled with disappointment that one of their own wasn't chosen. Dumbledore was in the middle of dismissing them when the goblet flared red for a forth time.

The hall fell silent, watching with bated breath. Dumbledore read the parchment and looked surprised for a split second before masking his face. Harry went rigid as Silas hissed furiously in his mind, making dire promises of revenge. Confused, Harry was about to ask why he was so upset when the headmaster looked right at him.

"Harry Potter."

The teachers and foreign headmasters all converged on Dumbledore, whispering and gesturing frantically. Pale and trembling, Harry faced his friends. They stared back at him with equal shock. 

"I didn't put my name in. You know I didn't." 

They didn't answer him. 

The whole Hall was looking at him, shock turning into anger and disbelief. Harry flinched. How was it possible he’d been chosen? He hadn't put his name in… **Gabriel? Did you do this?** he asked, biting his lip.

**No!** Gabriel cried indignant.

**I wouldn't have let him,** Silas agreed. **Dumbledore has something to do with this. Didn't you notice his disappointment when he saw Diggory's name?** He left unsaid the fact that if Dumbledore didn't do this then Voldemort's agents had. Silas hadn't forgotten his visions. Nor had he forgotten all that he had learned from Draco's letters.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called again. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

"Go on," Hermione whispered faintly.

Harry stood and unclenched his hands from around Neville's forearm. His brother was staring back at him helplessly. Swallowing, the young teen made his way up to the headmaster. He felt sure the rest of the Hall could see his shaking. Wide, innocent eyes stared up at Dumbledore as the headmaster stared down at him sternly. The teachers all grouped behind the old wizard stared just as hard.

"I – I didn't – I don't know how – " he stuttered.

"Through the door, Harry,” Dumbledore ordered gravely.

"But – "

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed.

Harry turned and hurried toward the back door. Heart pounding, he entered the dimly lit room. It was about the size of Gryffindor's common room, lined with paintings and suits of armor. A huge fireplace stood at the back and a gentle fire was burning merrily there. The other champions stood in front of it and turned to look at him as he entered.

"What is it?" Fleur asked. "Do zey want us back in ze Hall?"

Harry couldn't answer. Now that he was away from the crowded Hall his empathy revealed the three champions clearly to his eyes. Viktor was angry and tired. He didn't like that he was chosen. Cedric was nervous and running on adrenaline, happy but already having second thoughts. Only Fleur was happy, ambition and smug confidence rolled from her misleadingly small frame.

Before she could question Harry further, the rest of the teachers and headmasters came pouring into the room. Harry winced away from the adults as vicious anger, sharp worry, and smothering suspicion filled the room like a tidal wave. They were all yelling at each other and Harry whimpered, falling away and into troubled dreams. Gabriel took his place and straightened his spine as he glared at the teachers and headmasters fighting over _his_ fate. Bagman saw Harry's scowl and broke away from the tumult to come to his side.

"Extraordinary!" Ludo exclaimed, squeezing Gabriel's arm. The Gryffindor yanked away with a glare. Ludo laughed that away nervously and continued right on. "Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen and lady, may I introduce – incredible though it may seem – the fourth TriWizard champion!”

Krum straightened up. His surly face went blank as he surveyed Gabriel. Cedric looked bewildered, his eyes dancing back and forth between Bagman and his younger schoolmate. Fleur, however, went ugly with rage. Her voice soon joined the screaming of the others.

"This is absurd! Potter is fourteen years old! He clearly broke the rules by entering and should not be allowed to participate!" Severus yelled at Dumbledore.

" _Two_ Hogwarts champions? This can not be allowed!" Karkaroff shouted.

"C'est impossible! It is most injust!"

"Your age line must have been faulty…!"

"He is not qualified for this sort of endeavor, Albus…"

"One of them MUST be disqualified and Diggory is clearly the one to continue…"

Dumbledore silenced them with magic and turned to the two Ministry officials. "Mr. Crouch… Mr. Bagman… You are our objective judges. What do you deem as the best course of action?"

Ludo wiped his round, boyish face with a handkerchief and looked to Mr. Crouch. The dark-haired man had a dull and bored expression, but he answered his colleague with an even, emotionless voice. 

"We must follow the rules, and the rules state clearly that those people whose names come out of the Goblet of Fire are bound to compete in the Tournament."

**Something's not right with him,** Silas said darkly. He was already suspicious of everyone with the name Crouch and had been watching him closely. **His eyes… They remind me of something.**

"Well, Barty knows the rule book back to front." Ludo smiled in relief. "I agree with him completely! Harry Potter must compete!"

The headmasters demanded to have a second champion as well, but they were refused. The rules of the First Task were given and as soon as they were done, the headmasters left furious, trailing their champions behind them. The Ministry officials followed and Gabriel was left alone with Dumbledore and his teachers. The teen glared at them.

"Thank you for doing all you could to prevent me from competing in a dangerous and frivolous competition. You upheld your duty to me as your student honorably and I will never forget it."

They stared at him, silent and pale.

"That was sarcasm if you didn't catch it,” he growled, but he focused his fury on the headmaster. "I won't be your pawn and I won't compete. No one asked me if I was willing, and I'm not."

"I'm deeply sorry, my boy, that I couldn't do anything to protect you,” Dumbledore said with heavy sincerity. Gabriel scoffed at him, but the headmaster wasn't deterred. "But this is a magically binding contract and there will be penalties for breaking it."

"And what are the penalties for willfully endangering a vulnerable minor child under your protection?" Gabriel demanded. "What penalties are there for THAT?"

"He has a point, Albus,” Moody growled from the shadows by the door. It was his job to make sure no one could listen in on them. "The boy didn't enter his name. Someone else did. And that someone had to be powerful to bamboozle that goblet into forgetting that only three schools compete in the Tournament. I'm guessing they submitted Potter's name under a fourth school, to make sure he was the only one chosen. Why would such a powerful and resourceful person go to such lengths to subject Potter to this dangerous competition unless they were trying to get him killed?

"Thank you, Alastor,” Dumbledore said harshly. "That is enough."

"Surely he is mistaken,” McGonagall said worriedly.

"It doesn't matter,” Gabriel snapped. "I'm not doing this. I won't face the penalties because I didn't enter my name into that goblet!"

"These tasks will be difficult and dangerous, but they are all surmountable if care is taken before entering. Harry isn't the only one who might suffer in the competition,” Dumbledore said gravely. "Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor face the same dangers and could get severely injured. At least Harry has someone from his own school to look out for him and possibly protect him from certain attacks. And vice versa."

Gabriel tensed as he immediately understood what Dumbledore was saying. He wasn't a normal fourteen-year-old. In fact, because his specialty was combat and he was equipped physiologically to deal with battle situations efficiently, he had an advantage over all the other champions. If he let himself continue with this farce, he could be there to catch any of the champions if they fell, protect them, and maybe even save their lives. Granted, they entered this with their own free will, but who knew whether they would have still consented if they had known what the tasks held ahead of time.

**No! Gabriel, I refuse! You can't do this!** Silas yelled furiously. **Don't you remember my visions? Voldemort has his eyes on the TriWizard Tournament for whatever reason and we can't get involved.**

**Moldy-wart is another reason to compete. If he's coming, he'll be after me and the other champions will be innocent bystanders.** Gabriel stood straight and looked into Dumbledore's eyes. "Alright. I'm in." His gaze slid to Severus. The man was staring back at him, stricken. He and Silas would just have to understand; he didn't need their permission. This was something he had to do.

**Gabriel! You moron! If Voldemort is really after us, joining the Tournament only puts the other champions in MORE danger!** Silas screamed.

**Sorry, Sy,** Gabriel said sincerely, but he was unmoved from his course.

"Very well." Dumbledore bowed his head. "You should get to bed. I am sure Gryffindor is waiting to celebrate with you, and it would be a shame to deprive them of this excellent excuse to make a great deal of mess and noise."

Gabriel left the room in silence and made his way up to Gryffindor Tower with an equal silence resounding in his mind. Silas was not happy and was letting him know it. He winced, but he couldn't do anything about it. Instead, he braced himself and entered the Lion's Den, ready to face the accusations and questions he was sure would come.

**xXxXxXx**

Gabriel expected anger and found it in all the wrong places. He had been swept up into a cheering mass in the Gryffindor common room. They hefted him onto their shoulders, wrapped him in banners, and laughingly demanded to know how he managed to ensure he was chosen. They praised him and made him promise to make them proud. Gabriel went with it, relieved.

It was very late when he was finally released and bounded up to his dorm. He didn't expect to find Dean and Seamus watching Ron carefully and Neville outright glaring at the redhead. He soon discovered why as the redhead started in on him, not believing that he had nothing to do with his name coming out of the goblet and green with envy. Granted, Ron wasn't the only one who didn't believe him when he said he didn't put his name in the goblet, only Neville and maybe Hermione did, but at least the other Gryffindors were supporting him.

"I didn't put my name in that goblet!"

"Yeah, okay,” Ron sneered. "Only you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you… I'm not stupid, you know."

"Could've fooled me! A true friend would know me better than this,” Gabriel snapped, sick of Ron's attitude. "Guess you're not much of a friend."

"Well, neither are you!" Ron spat back. "You're too busy being an attention seeking celebrity to care about us little people!"

"The only little person in this room is you! I can't believe you'd be jealous over this! You should know better than anyone by now that this isn't a walk in the park! There's ALWAYS danger involved with being me!"

"Poor you. I think I'll cry myself to sleep tonight,” Ron growled between gritted teeth before sliding his curtains closed violently.

"Don't talk to me again, Ron, until you are ready to apologize for being a complete arse of a friend."

**Great going,** Silas sneered.

**Shut up, Sy. You can't stand him, so you don't really care. And don't bother telling me Harry would have handled it different. I know he would, but I'm SICK of that idiot's immature attitude. Ron needs to grow up!** Gabriel climbed into their bed and pulled the curtains closed.

It took him a while to fall asleep, but when he did Silas was ready and came to the surface. He carefully climbed out of bed and grabbed their invisibility cloak. No one heard him leave. He slid silently through the darkness toward the dungeons, burning with irritation and anger at Gabriel's actions. 

A cold smile touched his lips. He knew Gabriel wouldn't approve of what he was doing, and that made his decision all the sweeter, but he wasn't doing it just for that. He did feel that this was necessary to their continued survival. The more information they had, and the more people looking out for Voldemort's influences, the better.

He arrived at the Slytherin common room fifteen minutes later. Harry had been here in Second year. It didn't look much changed. It was different from Gryffindor in the fact that it wasn't a single, large room. Instead it had many turns and stairs so that it was divided into several private areas. There were three fireplaces and had deep green carpeting. There were three stairs leading up into dorms and Silas cast the point-me spell.

He went to the far right and climbed silently, his eyes carefully looking and feeling for spell residue that would betray a trap. There was nothing. He reached the top of the stairs to see a long hallway with several doors and another staircase going up. Casting the point-me spell again, he was relieved to find Draco on this floor behind the second door to the left. He sensed spells on the door and sighed. Softly whispering, he cast diagnostic spells that would begin to sketch for him the type of magic used. From that, he could deduce what spells had been cast. Of course, Draco Malfoy had a Death Eater father and it was highly likely that Silas wouldn't recognize the spell signatures. And he didn't. Well, there was always plan B.

He knocked on the door, his ears straining to hear if he had woken any of the other Slytherins up. Nothing. He knocked again more loudly but for a shorter time. He heard rustlings inside Draco's room. The blond opened the door and Silas had to appreciate that even though he had woken the Slytherin up Draco's eyes were alert and not at all sleep-fogged. Goyle also opened his door, looking much less alert, and asked what was going on. Silas contorted and slipped past Draco and into the blond's room without touching him.

"Is this a joke?" Draco growled. "Who knocked on my door?"

"I didn't see anybody,” Goyle whined. "I didn't do it, Draco."

"Go to sleep, imbecile, and if you do it again, I'll be very displeased." The blond shut the door with a firm swing and turned back to his bed with a scowl. The expression was quickly erased when he saw Harry Potter sitting on his bed with an evil smirk. Draco's mouth fell open with shock.

"Very interesting,” Silas said casually, eyes leaving the blond to take in the rest of the room. "Do they often knock on your door and run back to their rooms?"

"What are you doing in here?" Draco hissed, recovering himself. "How did you get in?"

"Calm down, Serpentine." Silas stood and brushed at his shoulders nonchalantly. "You said in your letter that you had something to discuss but privately and in person. Well, here I am. I also have a business proposition for you."

Draco quickly got his balance back and raised an eyebrow in interest. His gray eyes looked him up and down. "You are a very good actor, Potter. How can you stand pretending to be the blubbering Hufflepuff?" he drawled.

"Oh. It's easier than you would think." Silas smiled, but his eyes flashed dangerously. "Are you interested, Draco? Or aren't you?"

"I'm interested,” Draco answered easily, flicking his fingers in assent.

"Good." Silas moved toward him. "Get dressed. We're going to talk somewhere where I'm certain we won't be overheard."

"Where?" Draco asked, eyes suspicious. He stood his ground, however, and didn't move as Silas stalked up to him. The teen was about two inches shorter than him, but somehow he felt much smaller and more vulnerable with those piercing green eyes pinned to him.

"Don't you trust me?" Silas asked in a whisper. 

Draco thought about it and then slowly nodded. 

"Then get moving. We don't have all night. I'll meet you outside the potions classroom, but I won't wait long. Open your door."

Draco turned and did as asked. When he turned around, Harry wasn't there. He hurried and looked out the door, but the hallway was empty as well. Frowning and impressed, Draco hurried out of his silk pajamas and into slacks and a heavy green sweater of the softest cotton. It took him about seven minutes to the classroom without being seen. Harry wasn't there, so he reached for the door, thinking he might be waiting inside and out of sight.

"Don't."

Draco spun around and his mouth fell open to see Harry leaning against the wall across from him, hands in his pocket, and an amused half-smile quirking his lips. _How was he appearing and disappearing like that that?_ Draco wondered furiously.

"Professor Snape has an alarm on the door so he knows if anyone tries to brew a potion outside of class,” Silas explained and came off the wall. "Follow me and keep quiet."

Draco shut his mouth but hesitated. Things were getting really strange and it was creeping him out to watch Harry move and act so unlike he did during the day. This was the boy who stuttered when his name came out of the goblet? This was the boy who was rumored to have cried in Defense Against the Dark Arts when that bastard Moody demonstrated the Killing Curse? On the other hand, this person matched who he had come to respect and trust through their letters. So after a long moment’s pause, he followed.

Silas led him up to Myrtle's bathroom. His tread was silent and his gait was smooth. Draco kept up easily and stepped just as silently on the balls of his feet. Silas was thoroughly enjoying this. He felt Draco was a kindred spirit and their silent progression with him in the lead and Draco following blindly filled him with a pleased contentment. Maybe Gabriel was onto something when the Gryffindor said that he wanted something just for himself.

"What are we doing here?" Draco whispered, his voice hard.

Silas knew the Slytherin was fingering his wand and smiled. Draco may be a kindred spirit, but that meant he was also dangerous and prone to betrayal. That was another reason he had decided to bring him here. It would be a show of strength that Draco couldn't possibly counter. It would give Silas the upper hand until the blond could even the score a bit. It would also be a very blatant unspoken warning that betraying him would be very bad for Draco’s health and he should be really, really sure it was worth it.

"I want to show you something,” he answered and entered Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Thankfully the ghost wasn't in sight and he stepped up to the sinks without trouble. "Are you coming, Draco?"

The Slytherin hesitated, his muscles tight and ready to spring. He looked into Harry's green eyes and though they were hard and filled with amused intelligence, he couldn't completely forget that this was Harry Potter, the hero who wouldn't intentionally harm another. He stepped forward. 

Silas smiled to himself, knowing the blond's thoughts from his expression, and hissed at the sink.

"Wha – " Draco heard the Parseltongue and had a moment to fear his assessment was wrong, but his questions and thoughts were cut off as the sink opened to reveal a dark hole. Something pushed him from behind and he turned burning eyes to Silas who was smirking as he fell. He didn't scream, but he wanted to.

He hit the ground hard and all the wind was knocked from his lungs. Silas landed a few seconds later, but he remained on his feet. Draco leapt up and aimed his wand. Silas's eyes glittered with warning and the utter coldness in that gaze reminded Draco of his father. It made him hesitate.

"Welcome to Slytherin's Chamber, Draco Malfoy. You are only the third person to ever step foot here in over fifty years."

That knocked Draco's anger askew and he looked around in wonder. Was he really standing in the Chamber of Secrets? Curiosity and awe filled him and he let his irritation at the small Gryffindor slide away. This was definitely more interesting. 

Silas smirked again and led the way down the hall. The debris was long gone as he had expected. Hogwarts wouldn't have left it damaged, not when it was beloved by one of the founder’s. He hissed the doors open and the chamber was finally revealed. 

Torches lit and filled the huge room with light. The floor was as smooth and flat as glass and was so polished that it actually reflected the light as the calm surface of a lake would. The monument of Salazar Slytherin stood as it had and the corpse of the basilisk lay where it had died.

“Merlin," Draco's choked whisper sounded behind him.

"I defeated him in second year, as I'm sure you remember,” Silas answered casually. "I destroyed Tom Riddle's sixteen-year-old memory as well. That's Voldemort's real name if you didn't know. His father was Muggle and his mother was an inbred, Pureblood descendant of Slytherin. As for the basilisk, I know that its parts are very precious and useful in potions and I thought you would be interested in helping me profit from this creature."

"Of course,” Draco answered faintly. His mind was swirling with the knowledge given to him. Voldemort was a Half-blood? His eyes returned to the basilisk's head and he felt sure he would never have been able to defeat the beast. It lay on the ground, only a few inches shorter than they were. Its body was a good four feet around and its length was thirty feet.

Silas was also staring at the snake. He shook his head as his memories of Gabriel fearlessly throwing himself against such a creature rose in his mind. And the idiot was going to be repeating those reckless actions during the Tournament. He bit back his rising anger and turned to the blond.

"How did you kill it?" Draco demanded.

"If you look, you can see the sword wound that went up through the roof of its mouth and into its brain. I believe I mentioned it in the letter,” Silas drawled, amused again. The Slytherin nodded, gazing at the basilisk once more. "What did you wish to tell me, Draco?"

The blond's attention returned to him, but he didn't say anything.

"Alright. I'll begin." Silas tucked his hands into his pockets, watching Draco with steady eyes. "Your first letter to me was an invitation for a temporary cease fire. You said the supposed rivalry between us would remain."

"Supposed?" Draco sneered.

"Yes. Supposed. You set yourself against me, but in all honesty you were never a consideration in my actions." Silas shrugged and Draco's face flushed with anger. "But you also said that you would be willing to part with information about your father. This was surprising and I accepted. However, in your last letter, the tone changed. You hinted that you found Slytherin House, and in extension Hogwarts, your home and not Malfoy Manor. Unfortunately, no matter what you say, your trustworthiness is an issue. That is why I decided to meet with you. I figured I'd be able to get a more honest feel for your intentions this way."

"And this just coincidently happens the night you are chosen to be the fourth champion,” Draco growled. "I find that unlikely."

"You're right. It isn't a coincidence. But that should hardly matter." Silas shrugged again. "The point is still the same."

"What do you want, Potter?" Draco demanded. "Why did you bring me down here?"

"You could be useful to me, but so could other people. I figured I could give you a chance. So here it is, Malfoy. What do you want to say to me?"

"You'll give me a chance,” Draco repeated in disgust. "I don't need anything from you."

"I beg to differ,” Silas said seriously. "Don't waste this, Draco. Think beyond the pride you believe is being injured and see the bigger picture."

"And what would that be?" Draco snarled.

Silas met his hot gaze coolly. Draco's temper faded as the other boy shook his head in despair. "I'm not walking you into this, Draco. You have to do it on your own. Obviously, you're not willing. Let's go."

“Wait," Draco bit out as the teen began walking away. "Alright. I'll talk."

Silas laughed. "This isn't an interrogation. I just want to know if you're my enemy or not."

"I'm not your enemy." Draco glared at the basilisk corpse. "I will not be marked or serve the Dark Lord. But I will not support Dumbledore, either."

"May I ask why you are turning against your father?"

"He's changed,” Draco explained softly. His shoulders drooped. Not many people would recognize the grief hidden in his voice. "Ever since Second year he began to change and this past summer was worst. He never smiles and is always angry. He’s driven and cruel, and there's no reason behind his cruelty. I don't want that to happen to me. I've talk to my mother and she told me that he was like this all the time when he was an active Death Eater and so she suspects that he is participating in Death Eater activities once again. Mother says that the Dark Lord enslaves his followers and eats their souls." He looked up and his eyes blazed with pained determination. "I won't let that happen to me. I'm a Malfoy. I serve no one and my soul is my own."

"Good." Silas smiled and it wasn't cold or hard. It was soft with understanding and honest pleasure. "I'm going to need your help."

Draco blinked at that. "What do you need help with?"

"This basilisk for one,” he drawled. "But also with this Tournament. I didn't put my name in the goblet, nor did I ask anyone else to do it for me. Someone wants me to participate and I believe that person is working for Voldemort." He sighed dramatically. "Another year and another attempt at my life. How boring."

Draco was startled into a laugh.

Silas felt a rush of accomplishment and smiled. "Seriously, though, I believe Crouch Sr. is a part of this somehow. In any case, there is someone in this school who wants me dead or in Voldemort's clutches. I want to know who. Any information you can gather would be helpful."

"Why should I?" Draco frowned, crossing his arms. "If anyone found out what I was doing, I'd be in serious trouble."

"Because you will be recompensed for your help." Silas rolled his eyes. The boy had already agreed to help, so why was he arguing about this? "And the sooner I can get rid of Voldemort, the better it will be for you and your family."

Draco eyed him. "I'm not fighting against the Dark Lord."

"I know,” Silas soothed. "I never expected it. I've only asked you for information."

Draco nodded once. "Alright. I'll let you know if I hear anything, but I'm not going out of my way to find you answers."

"That's fine." Silas smiled. "Now what should we do with this beast?"

"Let's come back tomorrow night. I'll bring containers and dissecting tools,” Draco offered, his eyes filled with greed as they roamed over the large snake.

"I have a book on what parts are more valuable and how they should be stored,” Silas said casually. "I'll bring it."

"Good." Draco looked over at the brunette and smiled. Silas mirrored his gleeful expression.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke the next morning and groaned, burying his face into his pillow. Memories of the night before came crashing back and he wished with all his heart it had been just a dream.

**I'm sorry, Harry,** Gabriel said gently. **I had a chance to get us out of this, but I didn't take it.**

"What? Why?" Harry gasped, shocked.

**Because someone entered your name and wants us in this Tournament. It's better to face it head on than to hide and trip over a trap we didn't see. If that makes sense. Plus, if they've booby-trapped the tasks, the other champions are in danger. I couldn't sit by and not accept the chance to help them if I could.**

"Cedric was already nervous. I don't think he really thought he'd be chosen, and Krum didn't seem too thrilled either,” Harry admitted. "Do you think Headmaster Karkaroff forced him to put his name in the goblet?"

**Maybe,** Gabriel said grimly. **He's famous for Quidditch and they could expect him to continue winning them glory. He didn't seem thrilled with all his fans either.**

Harry sighed. “No.”

**So you understand? I'm way ahead of the fourth year curriculum and more capable than the others. I have to be there to make sure they aren't hurt.**

"I understand." Harry bit his lip. "What does Silas think of all this?"

**He's not happy. In fact, he's not talking to me at the moment.** Gabriel sighed. **I think he's sleeping since he's in his room with the door shut.**

"Oh." Harry frowned. "Maybe we shouldn't do this then."

**It's too late now.** Gabriel shook his head. **Look. I care about Silas, too, but I'm not going to change my mind. I _have_ to do this.**

Harry sighed again. "Alright."

**There's one more thing I have to tell you. Ron didn't believe me when I said we didn't put your name in the goblet. We got into a fight. I don't think he's talking to you anymore, but the rest of Gryffindor supports us. But only Neville and maybe Hermione believes us about the not putting your name in.**

"Why wouldn't he believe you?" Harry threw his covers off and opened his curtains, intent on talking to his friend, but when he looked around he saw he was the last one up. 

He hurried into his clothes and rushed down the stairs. The Gryffindors cheered loudly as soon as he came into sight. Even with his shields at full strength, he could feel the excitement and anticipation swirling around him. He blushed hotly and lowered his eyes as his Housemates patted him on the back and congratulated him. It took him a good fifteen minutes to get to the portrait hole and he practically dived for it, almost knocking Hermione and Neville down.

"Harry!" Hermione scolded.

His blush intensified. "I'm sorry."

"We thought you wouldn't want to go to the Great Hall." Neville helped steady them both on their feet. "So we brought you a plate."

"Thank you." Harry smiled, his green eyes bright. "I really, really appreciate it."

"Come on." Hermione tugged at his arm. "Let's go eat by the lake. No one will bother us there."

**xXxXxXx**

Harry sat next to his two friends and stared at Durmstrang's ship moored in the lake while he ate the breakfast Hermione had brought him. It was getting cold, but all of them remembered to bring sweaters so it wasn't that bad. Plus, with Neville sitting on one side and Hermione on the other, he had their body heat to keep him warm.

"Hermione, do you believe me? About not putting my name in the goblet?" he asked when he finished eating.

"Well of course I do!” she huffed, surprised. "The look on your face when Dumbledore read out your name! But the question is: who _did_ put it in? Because Moody's right, Harry… I don't think any student could have done it… They'd never be able to fool the Goblet of Fire or get over Dumbledore's age line."

Harry nodded and bit his lip. "Did you see Ron this morning?"

Hermione hesitated, so Neville answered. "Yes. We saw him."

"Is he mad at me?"

"Well… no, I don't think so… not _really,_ ” Hermione tried.

“Yes," Neville disagreed. "He's being a prat."

"He's just jealous,” Hermione defended. "It's always Harry who gets all the attention. I know it's not your fault, Harry, but – well – you know, Ron's got all those brothers to compete against at home, and you're his best friend, and you're really famous – he's always shunted to one side whenever people see you, and he puts up with it, and he never mentions it, but I suppose this is just one time to many…"

"That's a really lame excuse, Hermione." Neville glared. "He's supposed to be Harry's friend, and for him to care about all that shite makes it seem like he was his friend only because of the attention it could get him, and now that he sees it's not working he's throwing a fit."

"That's not true!" Hermione yelled and then turned a pleading look to Harry. "Just go talk to him. I'm sure you'll see that everything will be fine then."

**No way! It's not your place to go chasing after the prat trying to make him grow up! That's something he's just going to have to do on his own,** Gabriel seethed.

Harry sighed. "I'm not the one that's separating us, Hermione. I'll be happy to talk to him, but I can't force him. That will only make it worse. Ron will just have to come around on his own."

They sat in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. 

After a few minutes, Hermione stood, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm really worried about you, Harry. This tournament is dangerous and someone went to a lot of trouble to get you to compete. I think you should write Sirius and tell him what's happened. He's going to read about it eventually anyway, and maybe he can help you."

Harry looked to Neville for his opinion, but his brother only shrugged. He stood and decided that it would be worth it if it made Hermione feel better. He could feel her emotions tight as a spring and ready to snap, so he nodded and she smiled at him gratefully.

**And it might be better if we give our spin on things before he hears about it, otherwise he might come rushing to the school and get caught,** Gabriel added.

**Good point,** Harry agreed and picked up his pace.

**xXxXxXx**

_Dear Sirius,_

_You told me to keep you posted on what's happening at Hogwarts, so here it goes – On Saturday night I got picked as a fourth champion. I don't know who put my name in the Goblet of Fire, because I didn't. The other Hogwarts champion is Cedric Diggory, from Hufflepuff. Please don't worry and don't do anything rash. Remus and I are worried about you. We don't want you to get caught. I promise I'll let you know if I need help. Until then, take care of yourself._

_Harry_

_P.S. Hey, old man. I just wanted to make sure you understood the message. I've got things under control. You know I can take care of myself. There is something funny going on, but we've got our eyes open. Don't do anything stupid or I'll have to kick your arse._

– _Your fellow Gryffindor_

**xXxXxXx**

Silas met Draco in Myrtle's bathroom. Under his arm was the book he had found in Severus's library and had spent three hours copying with magic. In it, it detailed all the most potent basilisk parts and how they are dissected and stored. When they reached the corpse, Draco placed a shrunken trunk on the ground and returned it to its rightful size. Inside were jars, bottles, and boxes made of different kinds of metals. One was even crystal.

They got to work, talking only of basilisks and the potions the ingredients they were collecting could be used in. It was peaceful. They worked for two hours before Silas called a halt. Gabriel didn't have an appointment with Severus, since it was the weekend, but he would once the week started and he didn't want Draco getting suspicious of why he was leaving early. It was best to set the precedent now.

They packed up and agreed to meet again on Wednesday. Draco took the trunk (the idea was that if it were found on him, he'd be able to explain it away easier than Harry could), and they went up the stairs found at the back of Slytherin's statue. It led them to a hidden door on the second floor behind a tapestry. They tried going back through it, but once it shut it could not be opened or seen. It was an exit only, making the third floor bathroom the only entrance.

"See you, Shadow."

Silas nodded and they went their separate ways; Draco to his dorm room and Silas to the library.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was nervous about returning to class on Monday, but Gabriel assured him that he'd be fine. It didn't really matter what everyone else thought; they knew the truth about why they were competing and it was nothing to be ashamed about. However, it was harder to face everyone than even Gabriel thought it would be. Harry walked into the Great Hall for breakfast and was slammed to a halt.

The Hufflepuff table was glaring at him. The betrayal, anger, and disgust radiating from them was an almost tangible force and Harry wasn't the only one to suffer. Feeling like their champion – the _real_ Hogwart's champion – was being cheated, and that their rare chance at glory was being stolen, they turned cold eyes and shoulders toward the whole of Gryffindor House. 

They weren't the only ones upset either. The Ravenclaws were affronted because they felt Harry had bypassed the rules in place to prevent his entering, and they had strong feelings about rule breakers. The Slytherins were gleeful and attacked Harry as much as they could, vocally calling him a cheat and an attention seeker. For the first time, Hufflepuffs laughed loudly at the Slytherin's taunts.

To make matters worse, Ron wasn't talking to him and avoided Harry as best as he could. Hermione spent most of her day nagging at Ron to make up with him. Silas wasn't talking to Gabriel, even though he was awake, and would only answer direct questions that Harry asked him with as few words as possible. 

So Harry was feeling pretty ragged by the time he went to Care of Magical Creatures Monday afternoon. He met the same derision he found in all his other classes, but he was surprised when he found it lacking in one specific Slytherin.

"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," Draco said to Crabbe and Goyle as he approached Hagrid's cabin. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now because I doubt he's going to be around much longer… Half the TriWizard champions have died… How long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."

Harry just stared. Draco felt completely neutral, even if the Slytherins around him were gleeful at the prospect of his death and humiliation. The Gryffindors were immediately angry, but there was a tinge of worry for the first time among their emotions. 

**Did Draco just try to warn me?** he asked Gabriel.

**I think he might have,** Gabriel sounded just as confused.

**Maybe he's grateful that Silas helped him with Moody?** Harry suggested. **And he thinks it was me.**

**Maybe.** But Gabriel suspected it was something else altogether that had Malfoy acting strange. He would have questioned Silas, but the Slytherin was in his bedroom avoiding him. Interesting.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry hid under their invisibility cloak with Neville. He knew his friend wanted to know what was going on with the Tournament and thought it would be best for him to come along instead of having to explain everything again later. He knocked on Severus's door and the Potions Master opened it silently. They slipped in and found Remus sitting on the couch. They removed the cloak and the werewolf smiled at them welcomingly.

"Harry, how are you?" he asked as he brought both teens close for a tight hug.

"Fine," he assured. "Gryffindor is being really great."

"Except for Mr. Weasley," Severus drawled icily.

Harry sat next to Remus, Neville on their teacher's other side, and looked over at the dark-eyed man as he took his favored seat across from the couch. "He's just going through a hard time."

"He's being a prat," Neville said softly. 

Harry sighed.

"I'm sure Ron will come around," Remus assured the small brunet. "So far he hasn't done anything unforgivable. He's just ignoring you, right?"

"Your definition of unforgivable acts is a bit loose, Lupin," Severus sneered. "In any case, it's more important that we discover who put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire and why."

"I've talked to the Headmaster," Remus offered. "He promised that it wasn't due to him that Harry was chosen."

"I've talked to him as well," Severus snapped. "And he said he _did_ put Harry's name in the goblet, but not under a different school."

"Why would he do that?" Neville gaped.

"He wanted to test his tool," Severus said darkly, his eyes glittering dangerously.

Remus paled, but he said nothing to dispute Severus words. 

Harry bit his lip and ducked his head, looking down at his hands clasped tightly in his lap.

"It would have to be someone competent enough to either bespell the goblet or paper, so I feel confident that we can remove the students as possible suspects," Severus continued. "That leaves the staff, Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, and the two foreign headmasters."

"I don't think it was anyone on the staff," Remus offered.

Severus glared at him. "That remains to be seen."

"At least we can narrow it down, can't we?" Harry offered, hating the dislike growing in his mentor toward Remus.

"I don't think Trelawney would be able to do it," Neville agreed.

"No," Severus admitted.

"And Minerva wouldn't. She was appalled," Remus pointed out. "And Alastor is vicious when it comes to protecting children. He wouldn’t, either."

"They may not do so on their own, but there could be outside influences at work," Severus argued.

"I agree," Silas drawled and the others looked at him in surprise. He sneered back. "Crouch Sr. was behaving suspiciously. If someone that high up in the Ministry can be corrupted, than the teachers here would be easy."

"But we'd know," Remus said faintly.

"No, you wouldn't." Silas shook his head. "There is no way to detect the Imperius Curse. There are symptoms of course, but the magical residue is buried under the person's magical signature. If someone really good at casting the Imperius were to do so, you'd never know it."

"Silas is right," Severus said grimly.

"What about Moody's eye?" Neville asked curiously. "It can see all kinds of stuff, can't it?"

Severus shook his head. "It can see active magic and lingering spell residues, but those fade. He'd have to see the person within an hour or two of being cursed to notice the spell."

"That's why it was so difficult during the first war," Remus sighed tiredly. "A lot of Death Eaters claimed to be under the Imperius Curse and we couldn't prove it one way or another."

"So you think that's what happened?" Neville asked, looking back and forth between the two adults.

"Not necessarily. Karkaroff was a Death Eater. He was released and exiled from England because he gave up many more Death Eater names. He could have done this willingly," Severus spoke up. "I will talk to him as soon as I see an opportune moment."

"What should we do?" Neville asked, gesturing to Silas.

"Nothing," Remus said firmly. "Keep your eyes and ears open, but don't worry about this. You two worry about your work and preparing for the first task."

"Do you know what it's going to be?" Silas asked Severus.

The dark-eyed man shook his head. "Not yet."

Silas frowned. "Any progress on the portkey translation?"

"No." Severus sighed.

"What translation?" Remus questioned.

Severus eyed him consideringly, but decided that they could use the werewolf's input. He quickly began explaining what happened and why they needed to be able to move the portkey spell to a second object without destroying the first. Remus became intent and began asking questions.

Silas looked over and noticed Neville looking a bit lost and stood. The adults fell silent to look up at him. "We'll let you work," he said and strode to the door. He held out the invisibility cloak and Neville got under it with him.

"Tomorrow night have Gabriel come and duel with me," Severus called as Silas disappeared.

The door opening and shutting was his only answer.

**xXxXxXx**

Two weeks passed with every day very much the same. Everyone but the Gryffindors were unhappy with Harry, the Gryffindors defended him, Gabriel became more and more vocal in Harry's head as he helped him deal with the situation, Silas maintained his silence, Ron was still not talking to him, Hermione was looking ragged due to the split in their threesome, and Neville was a constant support, even though he was struggling through his own lessons with Rowena.

For the most part, Harry dealt with everything well. He was worried and stressed, but he hadn't yet broken under the conflicting pressures. Gabriel wasn't so sanguine. He was getting very annoyed about the other Houses's discrimination. It was unjust and immature. Things began to fall apart Friday and started with none other than Draco Malfoy who was still behaving strangely.

"Like them, Potter?" Malfoy asked loudly, gesturing to the glowing badge on his chest that read: _Support Cedric Diggory – the REAL Hogwarts champion!_ "And this isn't all they do – look!" Malfoy pressed the badge and the message changed to _Potter Stinks!_

The Slytherins howled with laughter.

"Oh _very_ funny," Gabriel growled, his wand pointing straight at the smirking blonde, his anger making his emerald eyes smolder. "You're really very _witty_ , Malfoy."

Malfoy met his stare for a brief second before sliding his gaze to someone standing behind Gabriel. Fearing an ambush, Gabriel looked back, but it was only to see Ron standing blank-faced, not at all inclined to support him. He growled again, his anger increasing ten fold. Malfoy being a prat was annoying as hell, but that was his job. Ron betraying him was a thousand times worse. He was supposed to be a friend!

"Want one, Weasley?" Malfoy offered innocently. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want you sliming it up."

Ron went red in the face and whipped out his wand. Malfoy's reaction time was spectacular as he aimed back at the enraged redhead. At the same time, Ron yelled "Furnunculus!" and Draco cast "Densaugeo!" 

Gabriel just barely managed to jump out of the way of the incoming spells. They met in midair where he had been standing, but Malfoy's had more power behind it and cut right through Ron's. Ron staggered back as it hit him right in the face, while the redhead's spell was knocked to the side and struck Goyle.

"And what's this all about?" said a soft, deadly voice.

Everyone turned to see Severus glide out of the shadows of the hall. Everyone went silent except for Goyle's muffled crying and Ron's whimpering. The Slytherin boy had boils bubbling up across his nose and cheeks while Ron's front teeth were creeping down past his chin and looked like they weren't planning on stopping anytime soon.

"Weasley attacked me, sir – "

"They attacked each other at the same time!" Hermione cried angrily. She was glaring daggers at the laughing Slytherins.

" – and he hit Goyle," Malfoy continued, ignoring Hermione.

"Hospital wing, Goyle," Severus said easily.

"Malfoy cursed Ron!" Hermione yelled. Ron's teeth were now to his collarbone. " _Look!_ "

Severus looked him over absently and drawled, "I see no difference."

It might have been a good thing that Ron couldn't talk for his eyes promised murder before he spun and ran down the hall. Hermione and the other Gryffindors, except for Gabriel and Neville, clamored at the same time about the unfairness of Severus' treatment. Unfortunately, Hermione's shrill voice was the only one that they could make out and Severus smiled evilly.

"Let's see, fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Weasley and Granger. Now get inside or it'll be a week's worth of detentions for every one of you!"

**xXxXxXx**

Harry found himself sitting in Potions, listening to Severus snap out the instructions for the day. He could feel a simmering of anger from his fellow Housemates and good humor from the Slytherins. Draco was the smuggest of all of them. Frowning, he looked around and noticed Ron wasn't there.

**Gabe?**

The alter sighed. **Malfoy and I got into a fight, but then Malfoy turned it against Ron who wasn't sticking up for us. They dueled. Ron missed and cursed Goyle with painful boils. Malfoy's aim was dead on and hit him in the face. It made his front teeth grow past his collarbone. Hermione stuck up for him and got a detention. Ron has one as well because he left without permission.**

Harry bit his lip unhappily. He felt bad for Ron. The redhead had been feeling miserable all week and Harry wished he could do something to help him. The stupid tournament was definitely not worth losing their friendship over. Ron was the one to stand by him this summer even though he didn't know what was going on. He didn't want their friendship to be over because of a stupid goblet. Ron was the very first person his age to ever be nice to him and accept him. Harry couldn't just forget that.

A knock sounded at the classroom door. Everyone stopped working on their antidotes. Severus glared at them and motion started up again, but the door creaked open and a Third year Gryffindor peeked in. Harry bit his lip. It was Colin Creevey; the boy who had been following him around and taking as many pictures as he could. He ducked a bit, but the persistent blond found him and beamed brightly.

"Yes?" Severus drawled sweetly.

Colin blanched but gathered his courage. He wasn't in Gryffindor for nothing. "Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry upstairs."

"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," he said so coldly that Colin began to tremble, his eyes as wide as they could get.

"Sir – I'm sorry, but – Mr. Bagman wants him. All the champions have got to go; I think they want to take photographs…"

Severus practically growled. "Very well. Potter, leave your things here, I want you back down here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir – he's got to take his things with him." Colin was already backing out the door. "All the champions – "

"Very well!" Severus snapped. "Potter – take your bag and get out of my sight!"

Harry scrambled to obey, hiding his smile as he felt his mentor's disgust on his behalf. He was touched Severus had tried to shield him at all, especially since they were in class and he couldn't be overly demonstrative. 

Colin started talking and staring in awe as soon as the Potions classroom door was shut behind them. Harry did his best to subdue him, but the boy was incorrigible. He was glad when Colin was refused access to the room where the photos were being shot.

The classroom Mr. Bagman has chosen was small, but it seemed bigger with all the desks pushed up against the wall. Three had been placed end-to-end in front of the blackboard and covered with red velvet. Bagman was standing there with a witch wearing magenta, clashing strangely with the tablecloth.

Viktor Krum was standing in the corner as usual and Harry was shocked at the level of dislike, annoyance, and anger radiating from him as he glared at the cameras. Harry felt bad for him. Cedric and Fleur were talking in the center of the room. Both were happy. Fleur was touched with a hint of smugness while Cedric was bubbling with nervous exhilaration. The last person in the room was the chubby man holding a very large black camera.

"Ah, here he is!" Bagman cried delightfully when he spotted Harry. "Champion number four! In you come, Harry, in you come… nothing to worry about, it's just the wand weighing ceremony and a small photo shoot, the rest of the judges will be here in a moment."

Harry nodded nervously as the levels of agitation rose in the other champions. Cedric and Fleur were glaring at him in annoyance at the fourth champion remark, but Viktor's invisible distress lessened as he considered him thoughtfully.

"And I'm Rita Skeeter.” The witch smiled sweetly, but Harry could feel her lust and greed rising as she weighed him with her eyes. "I'm going to be doing a piece about the tournament for the _Daily Prophet_." Her stiff curls didn't even bounce as she strode around the table to stalk up to Harry. "I wonder if I could have a little word with the fourth champion before we start? The youngest champion, you know… to add a bit of color?"

"Certainly!" Bagman waved them away.

“Lovely.” Rita grabbed his arm and quickly hustled him out of the room. Her crimson nails dug into his skin and he cried out in dismay. "We don't want to be in here with all that noise,” she said loudly, hoping to cover up his cry so that no one felt obligated to stop her. "Let's see… ah, yes, this is nice and cozy."

It was a broom cupboard. A wave of memories from his childhood swirled beneath the surface of his thoughts and he shivered, wrapping his arms around himself tightly. Rita was not unaware of his distress, but she brushed it off as unimportant. Harry would have dodged out the door, but she was blocking it, perched on an overturned bucket. He watched her dig things out of her large crocodile-skinned bag silently. He just wanted this to be over.

"You won't mind, Harry, if I use a Quick-Quotes Quill? It leaves me free to talk to you normally…" She didn't give him a chance to answer as she set an acid green quill upright on the roll of parchment she had set up on her lap. She released it and the quill remained standing. Now she leaned toward Harry and smiled her falsely sweet smile. "Now, Harry, what made you decide to enter the TriWizard Tournament?"

"Er – I didn't…" Harry began, but he was distracted when the quill began writing furiously and didn't seem like it was going to stop. He tried to get a look at what it was writing, but Rita blocked with a bejeweled hand tipped with her crimson nails.

"Ignore the quill, Harry. Now – tell the truth. No one will judge you. Why did you enter the tournament?"

"I didn't," Harry repeated. "I don't know how my name got into the Goblet of Fire."

Rita raised an eyebrow. "Fine. How do you feel about the tasks ahead? Excited? Nervous?"

"Nervous." Harry bit his lip. "I'm worried someone will get hurt."

"People have died in this tournament.” She nodded sagely. "Of course, you've looked death in the face before, haven't you? How would you say that's affected you?"

Harry thought of his condition and his fractured mind and sighed. "Can't really say."

She smiled sharkishly, displaying three gold teeth. "Do you think that the trauma in your past might have made you keen to prove yourself? To live up to your name? Do you think that perhaps you were tempted to enter the TriWizard Tournament because – "

"I didn't enter. Really, I didn't," Harry interrupted her gently. "I'm telling you the truth."

"Alright." Her eyes glittered. "Can you remember your parents at all?"

"No," Harry said sadly, looking down at his hands.

"How do you think they'd feel if they knew you were competing in the tournament? Proud? Worried? Angry?"

Distress rose up in him and he felt his insides go cold. He had just come to terms with the reality of his parent's murder and didn't really want to confront the issue of what they would think of him, let alone what they would think of him being in the tournament. To distract himself, he looked back at the paper and noticed Rita had stopped shielding it from view. It read:

_An ugly scar, souvenir of a tragic past, disfigures the otherwise charming face of Harry Potter, whose eyes are deep and old due to the tragic life he is fated to live. The pressure of living up to his fame, earned that fateful night when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came to kill him as well as his family, has finally pushed him too far and he finds himself in over his head now that he faces the dangerous tasks before him. Tears filled those startling green eyes as our conversation turns to the parents he can barely remember. When I ask how they would have felt about him entering, he hesitates and bites his lip as he shamefully drops his eyes…_

Silas stood and snapped out, "Infernos!"

The quill and paper went up in a whoosh of flame so hot it burned white. Rita jumped to her feet, screaming. Her robes were burning and she slapped at them in panic, not even thinking of going for her wand. Silas watched all this with a blank face, not moving to help her. The cupboard door slammed open and Dumbledore yelled a water charm. The fire went out, leaving a singed and gaping hole in her robes. Rita was wearing a white lacy blouse and a red skirt underneath. There weren't even ashes left of the quill and parchment.

The ancient wizard stared hard at Silas before turning his attention to the gasping and trembling reporter. "Ms. Skeeter, let me help you," he said kindly while offering his hand.

She stared at it blankly for a moment before she visibly pulled herself together. "Dumbledore. How are you?" She smiled, but it was shaky and her eyes were still too round. "I hope you saw my piece over the summer about the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference?"

"It was enchantingly nasty." He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling full blast. "I particularly enjoyed your description of me as an obsolete dingbat."

"I was just making a point that some of your ideas are old-fashioned." She was recovering quickly now. "Harry and I will be with you in a moment, Headmaster. I won't keep him from the weighing."

Dumbledore considered this. His eyes looked to Silas for any hint on which way he would prefer things to be handled, but the teen was as expressive as a blank slate. Dumbledore's hesitation allowed Rita to shut the door gently. She turned to the teen, fury and threats in her eyes, but Silas spoke first.

"I don't appreciate my life being made into entertainment or dramatized to better your career,” he said softly and she stared at him open-mouthed. "Please keep to the facts or, better yet, don't mention me at all. You have three other perfectly fine subject matters outside this room. And if I find you misrepresenting me again, Ms. Skeeter, I will retaliate."

"Are you threatening me?" she hissed, shocked.

"I'm warning you," he corrected gently, but his eyes were hard and sharp.

Dumbledore opened the door again. "They are ready. Come, Harry."

Silas endured the weighing of the wands in silence, standing unobtrusively in the shadows. Cedric and Fleur stood tall and proud in the spotlight, but Viktor was skulking on the other side of the room. Silas turned to leave when all the wands had been tested, but Bagman's shouted demand for photos stopped him. He sighed and went to stand where he was directed by the cameraman. Rita stared at him the whole time, her eyes hungry. He met her stare and hoped she read the warning in them.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry ate dinner alone with Neville. His brother explained that Ron was still in the hospital wing getting his teeth fixed and Hermione was with him. Harry didn't mind. He was too busy listening to Gabriel's delighted descriptions of Silas catching Rita on fire and the following wand weighing and photos. He smiled and sighed; he was very glad he was in Hogwarts and couldn't be reached by the press. They got up to Gryffindor Tower to find Hermione back.

She handed him an unopened letter with a hot glare. "This came for you."

Harry flinched at her cutting emotions. "What's wrong?"

"Why didn't you stick up for Ron?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, but he hadn't been the one Out. There was nothing he could do and Gabriel was very much against helping Ron with anything less than a life or death situation until the redhead apologized.

"We have detention tomorrow night, so don't expect to see us around." She spun and stormed up the stairs to the girls' dorm.

Neville wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders. "Ignore her."

Harry nodded and turned his attention to the letter. They read it together.

_Harry –_

_I can't say everything I would like to in a letter, it's too risky in case the owl is intercepted – we need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?_

**He can't say anything in a letter because it might be intercepted, but he has no problems writing that you need to be _alone_ in the Gryffindor common room at a certain time?** Silas sneered. **He's brainless!**

**Do you really think the owls are being intercepted?** Harry fretted.

**No, but his logic is abysmal!** Silas said in disgust.

**Be quite, Sy,** Gabriel hushed him. **What else does he say?**

_I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself and while you're around school there are powerful people looking out for you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under everyone's nose. Be on the watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd as quickly as you can._

_Sirius_

**Brain dead,** Silas repeated. **He might as well say what he needed to. He said everything else.**

"Are you going to do it?" Neville asked.

"What does he mean, though?" Harry looked at him anxiously. "He's going to come here that night?"

"He'll probably use the floo," Neville guessed.

"Oh." Harry looked over at the fireplace. "I guess I can do it."

**xXxXxXx**

Two days later Rita Skeeter's article was released in the Monday morning Daily Prophet. Harry stared at the article aghast. The whole front page was a picture of him (or really Silas) and the headline: _Harry Potter: Hurting Teen or Champion?_ And the article continued on pages two, six, and seven. Only the last few paragraphs were about the Tournament at all and the other champions were hardly mentioned. The whole thing just examined him with quotes taken from his peers. Two of the most damning parts were on page two and read:

_Lavender Brown shared with me that Harry burst into tears during Defense class one day when the ex-Auror and current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Alastor Moody, was covering the three Unforgivables in class. Our young hero couldn't stand the reminder to his tragic past and broke down. The professor took him aside after class and he returned looking better, but still weak. Obviously he is troubled and has every right to be. When asked, his roommate Dean Thomas commented that he didn't know if Harry ever cries at night about his parents. The Gryffindor Hero doesn't really talk to them much, preferring to stay by himself or with a small select group of friends. What other secret's lie behind Harry Potter's hard green eyes?_

And…

_Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggle-born girl, who like Harry, is one of the top students in the school. Can she bring comfort to his obviously painful life? We all hope so, and if she can't, I'm sure there are millions of us girls out there willing to help Harry overcome his past. Maybe this is why he snuck his name in the Goblet. He wants to prove he is more than the Boy-Who-Lived. Maybe he wants to be the Boy-Who-Lives._

Silas read the article and saw red. No way was that bitch going to get away with this! He fumed silently in their head for days as he contrived the demise of her career. And the ones who spoke to that horrid woman would suffer as well. For that he'd need Draco's help. He convinced the blond to have his Slytherins pester Lavender, Dean, and Colin as much as they could, constantly asking questions about Harry and never giving them a moment's peace. He was pleased when the days went by and the three grew more and more harried and distraught. Unfortunately, Harry was also suffering.

Harry faced ribbing constantly for the article. People handed him hankies and snickered, cat-called him and Hermione, girls flirted blatantly with him, and he had to endure all the teachers telling him constantly that his parents would be proud of him. McGonagall especially doted on him, but Hagrid came a close second. He felt smothered under all the attention. He felt embarrassed and uncomfortable. He was having a hard enough time confronting his emotions; he didn't need to do it under the eye of hundreds. His agitation made his sleep restless and Gabriel was slowly coming to a boil.

Silas did his best to sooth both of them, but he could only do so much. Neville helped as much as he could, but he was still shaky himself and was only one person. Ron wasn't talking to him still and Hermione only encouraged the harassment when she tired to help. Severus gave them sanctuary at night and Remus's office was haven during the day, but as the week passed and the harassment didn't ease, things were getting bad enough that there was going to be an explosion soon.

**xXxXxXx**

"Look," Gabriel snarled as he slammed his book shut. He had had enough. Harry couldn't even come to the goddamn library without being stared at like some freak specimen of humanity! "Why are you always in here and _why_ do you have to stare at me like that?"

Viktor Krum blinked, his face in his normal scowl. He sat two tables away and had a book open in front of him, but his dark eyes shifted to Harry more often than not. Gabriel stood, shaking with anger and stress. He stalked over to the other Champion and leaned on the table, putting their faces close together.

"What are you looking at? Huh?"

"I vas studying. I vas not looking at you."

"Study somewhere else!" Gabriel growled.

"Do not vurry. I vant nuffing from you. I know also vhat it is like to have vem all eat pieces until vare is nuffing left."

Once Gabriel translated the mangled English, he felt his anger melt. He sighed. He knew very well that he was taking out his frustrations on the Seeker and that was wrong. "I'm sorry." He stood and roughly rubbed at his face.

"It is fine. Sit. Maybe my glare vill keep them at bay. It vorks vell for me."

"Yeah. Okay." Gabriel smiled and went to get his books. He came back and took a seat next to the older Bulgarian.

Harry came back and blinked, surprised at where he was and who he was with. Gabriel explained shortly what happened and Harry flushed with embarrassment. He peeked discreetly at Krum from the corner of his eye and found the teen scowling furiously at his book. He opened his empathy a bit and was shocked to find contentment, sympathy, and amusement in the dark teen. He smiled and turned to his studies.

As the days passed, Harry made sure to sit by the Seeker whenever they were in the library together and he was no longer bothered there anymore. He also got to know the Seeker a bit. They never talked much, but just by listening in to his emotions Harry learned a lot. Krum rather hated attention and enjoyed the quiet. He also seemed to have an obsession for books and had developed a crush on Hermione who was completely oblivious.

He was also very anxious and angry about the up coming first task. He had never wanted to enter, but now that he was chosen he was determined not to fail or look bad. Not because he cared what everyone thought of him, but because he might lose his scholarship to Durmstrang if he did poorly and he _had_ to graduate. Harry asked why once, but the Seeker shook his head and refused to answer. The tight anxiety spoke for him, however, and Harry worried about him.

**xXxXxXx**

November the 21st came and it was three days before the first task. All the students in third year and up were allowed to go to Hogsmeade. Hermione tried to talk Harry into going with her and Ron, but he gently refused. Ron was still not talking to him and he wanted to have fun today and not force himself into a tense confrontation or listen to Hermione nag at him and Ron all afternoon. Instead, he grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and went with Neville.

His brother looked tired. His Elemental lessons were tiring and difficult. Neville wouldn't talk about them much, but Harry knew that progress was slow going. More than ever Harry wanted to have a good day and help Neville feel better. They went to the candy store and the joke store and eventually ended up in the Three Broomsticks for drinks.

"Maybe you should wear your cloak more often," Neville chuckled.

"I might." Harry sighed in content and leaned against his friend. "This is so nice! Not one person is looking at me."

"No, people are looking at me now!" Neville blushed as two sixth year Hufflepuffs shot him a curious glance. "They think I'm talking to myself."

"Don't move your mouth so much," Harry giggled.

"Are you nervous about Tuesday?"

"Yeah." Harry sighed. "But not for myself. Gabriel can take care of things, but what about the others. Krum is really upset about it and Cedric is growing more and more distressed and less excited. Only Fleur is still happy about being in this Tournament. What if they get hurt?"

"Harry…" Neville sighed. "Look, Dumbledore said things are safer than ever before. They will be there if anything goes terribly wrong. Don't worry so much. Severus will be there and so will Remus. No one's going to get killed."

"But you can't promise that they won't get hurt," Harry pointed out.

"No. I can't." Neville frowned into his drink. "Whose bright idea was it to do this thing again?"

"I think Minister Fudge."

"Oh yeah." Neville looked up and smiled. "Look, there's Hagrid and Professor Moody."

Harry smiled and started to wave before he remembered he was invisible. But Moody looked over and Harry froze. Was he looking at him? The scarred professor said something to Hagrid and they both made their way over. The half-giant beamed down at them and said loudly, "Hello there, Neville!"

"Hi, Hagrid," Neville answered with a smile.

Moody leaned forward, as if to look at something on the table and whispered, "Hello, Harry."

"Can your eye – I mean, can you…?"

"Yes. It can see through Invisibility Cloaks." Moody grinned his fearsome grin. "And it's come in useful at times, I can tell you."

Hagrid bent down to stare at the table like Moody had. In a whisper that was as loud as a normal speaking voice, he said, "Harry, meet me tonight at midnight at the cabin. Wear the cloak."

The professors said their goodbyes after that and left the boys. Harry looked over at Neville curiously, "What do you think that was about?"

"I have no idea." Neville shrugged. "Want me to come?"

"Sure." Harry nodded even though Neville couldn't see him. "We can both fit under here."

"Don't forget you have to be back by one o'clock to talk to Sirius."

"I know." Harry bit his lip.

**He probably wants to talk to us about the task,** Gabriel offered. **All the teachers have wished us luck and given us a pep talk.**

**True,** Harry thought.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry and Neville tumbled into the common room, their eyes still wide after seeing the dragons and running into Karkaroff. Gabriel was reassuring Harry that he could handle a single dragon and Silas was silent as he contemplated what lay before them. Luckily, the common room was empty and the fire flared just as they flung the Invisibility Cloak off.

"Sirius?" Harry asked as he knelt before the hearth. Neville hung back a bit, keeping watch to make sure no one would walk in on them. If anyone found out about Sirius they would tell and the Ministry would go after Sirius again.

"Hey, pup. How are you?" Sirius' face asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. I just found out the first task was dragons."

"Dragons we can deal with, Harry, but we'll get to that in a minute – I haven't got long here… I've broken into a wizarding house to use the fire, but they could be back at any time. There are things I need to warn you about."

"You didn't! Sirius, you could get caught!" Harry cried, distressed.

"Listen!" Sirius hissed. "Harry, Karkaroff was a Death Eater. Moody caught him and the Ministry sent him to Azkaban, but he made a deal and got exiled from England instead."

"I knew that. Severus told us and he's checking to see if he was the one to put my name in the goblet, but they haven't found any leads yet and Severus says when he talks to Karkaroff, he's not giving anything away."

"We know he's a good actor, so that doesn't mean he's innocent. Look, I've been reading the Prophet and I think Bertha Jerkins was caught by Voldemort in Albania. I've heard some rumors that that's where Voldemort was last seen. The Death Eaters are even more active, as you know from the World Cup. I think Voldemort knows about this Tournament and wanted you to be the Champion. It's easer to kill you this way and make it look like an accident."

"I know," Harry said sadly.

"Don't worry, pup. We're here for you and so are the others." Sirius smiled. "We'll get you through this. Now, as for those dragons…"

"Harry!" Neville whispered in warning.

"Go, Sirius!" Harry jumped to his feet. "Someone's coming!"

Sirius disappeared with a soft pop and Harry spun to face the stairs, but it was only Ron. The redhead frowned. "What are you two doing down here so late?"

“Nothing," Harry said and waited.

"Fine." Ron glared. "Should've known you didn't want to be disturbed. I'll let you get on with practicing your next interview in peace."

Harry flinched back a bit, his green eyes pooling with hurt. 

Neville snapped and snatched up a POTTER REALLY STINKS badge off the table and threw it at the redhead as hard as he could. It hit Ron in the forehead and bounced off. The redhead's mouth gaped open and his blue eyes were huge with shock.

"There you go," Neville snarled. "Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now, if you're lucky… That's what you want, isn't it?"

Ron said nothing and stormed up the stairs. 

Harry turned to Neville and hugged him. "Thanks."

"No problem," the brunet murmured, still angry. Ron was really pissing him off! Harry didn't deserve that shit! "Let's go to bed. It's late and we have school tomorrow."

"Yeah. Okay." Harry smiled and followed his brother up to bed.

**xXxXxXx**

No one could focus on their school work on Monday. The school was practically buzzing with excitement about the first task scheduled the next day. Hermione pestered Harry constantly, demanding to know what he planned to do and trying to give him tips that she’d read about. Harry tried to assure her that he had a plan, but she wouldn't let it go since he couldn't tell her exactly _what_ he was going to do. The truth was there was no real plan. Gabriel said he couldn't make one until he actually knew the task, but the Gryffindor alter did promise that he knew spells that would affect a dragon. Silas backed him up.

Around lunch time, Harry found Cedric and offered warnings about what they were facing. He figured all the other Champions would know since the headmasters from the other schools had been there that night that Hagrid had shown him as well. Cedric looked terrified and grateful at the forewarning and practically ran to the library.

When he went to the library himself, he found Krum sitting quietly. The Seeker tried to warn him about the dragons, but he assured him that he already knew. They sat in silence after that and it was nice. After dark, Harry made his way through the quiet halls and bit his lip. He was halfway back to the Gryffindor common room when he stopped and went into an empty classroom.

**Harry?** Gabriel asked.

"I… Gabriel…" Harry took a deep breath and clenched his hands into fists to hide the fact that they were shaking. "I don't want to go away tomorrow. I want to be there for Krum and Cedric. I want to help them."

Gabriel said nothing for a long minute. **What are you saying?**

"I know I'm not the Core, but I was thinking… I made you, not Silas. Silas made me and I couldn't cope with everything he handed me so I created you…. I think… I think I'm ready to do it with you. I'm ready to fight for my friends and everyone else. I think I can do it."

**Harry… you… you want to… merge?**

"Is that bad?" Harry bit his lip hard. "Don't you want to?"

**I don't know,** Gabriel answered. **I want to be around to take care of you and Silas. I don't want to go away…. But I _do_ know that I wouldn't be going away if I merged with you. I would be _with_ you, as you put it. Still… it's scary, isn't it?**

“Yeah," Harry agreed and slumped into a chair. "I think so, too. Every time I think of merging with Silas, I get a bit scared… Where is Silas? What does he think?"

**For once, he's sleeping. He wants to be rested for tomorrow.** Gabriel grinned. **Boy will he be shocked if this works.**

Gabriel knew that if he were to hesitate, he'd be setting a bad example for Harry. If he, the brave hero, was afraid of merging, how would Harry bear it? So he took a deep breath and allowed himself to drift closer to the surface of their shared mind. Harry's conscience resisted a bit, not allowing him Out at the same time as him, and he didn't push. He understood that sometimes, in order to win a battle, you had to go slow and be thorough. So he waited and let Harry set the pace. 

Suddenly their edges began to blur.

As if someone were whispering in his ear, he heard, **I can accept that I am competent. I can accept that I have the ability to fight. I accept that I have courage to face the things that scare me. I can accept that people can depend on me and I won't let them down. I believe I am strong. I believe that I can be a hero.**

And Gabriel added his own voice; **I accept that I like to be neat and organized. I accept that it is okay to be afraid sometimes. I accept that protecting other people's feelings are as important to me as doing the right thing. I love my family and I accept that it is okay to depend on others. I accept that I can't force people to see things the way I do and I care for them the way they are.**

**xXxXxXx**

Silas jerked awake and wondered what was going on. The air felt heavy and charged as if it were about to storm. He frowned and hurried from the room, but when he opened door and saw what was happening in the sitting room, he froze. Unease, fear, and shock crawled up from his stomach and wrapped around his chest.

White, gentle lightning was striking Gabriel's door and lashing out at the window that led to the Host. Harry's hands were reaching through and Gabriel, now a ghost, held tightly to him. Slowly Harry's arms disappeared and Gabriel was pulled toward the window all the while fading.

"Gabe…" Silas said hoarsely. What the hell were they doing? But he knew. He knew what was happening. Harry was merging with what he had once rejected. Silas had no idea what had started this, but he felt suddenly young and unsure. He'd been with Gabriel for so long, he wasn't sure what would happen now that he was gone.

"Sy…" Gabriel's and Harry's voices overlapped but weren't quite one. "I am still going to be around to make sure you rest. You won't be able to hide away in here anymore." They laughed a strange double laugh. "You'll have to participate more to keep us/me in line. You'll have to speak up and make decisions _with_ me/us now, instead of letting us/me make them for you. I/We worry about you. You need to interact more with the world. You are our/my balance…." The voice stopped wavering and became steady, whole. "Silas, you are my other half and now we are even again. I need you, Sy. I will always need you."

And with a bright flash of light, Gabriel disappeared. Silas was flung off his feet as the room shifted sharply with a loud crack. It sounded like a bone breaking… or maybe a bone snapping into place. The grumble of stone grinding against stone shook the ground. Silas' vision went white and then black with the abrupt change in internal pressure. Boy howled, frightened, and Demon's dark chilling laugh echoed in his ears as he fainted.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus stalked through the school. Neville had come to him when Harry hadn't returned by midnight. He had flooed Remus and now the three of them were searching the castle. He wondered if Harry (or more likely Gabriel) had gotten into trouble or was hurt. Or was it just anxiety about tomorrow that had him reluctant to return to bed? Either way, Severus was getting angrier with every minute that passed and he couldn't find his student.

With a snarl, he flung open the next classroom door. He almost moved on before he registered the still figure collapsed on the floor. He rushed in and shook the teen's shoulder, hissing his name. The teen didn't even twitch in response. Grinding his teeth with worry, Severus knelt and lifted Harry into his arms.

The teen's head fell back limply and his arms dropped to the floor. Severus stood and hurried to the dungeons. He muttered diagnostic spells as he went, but they revealed no physical injuries or magical anomalies. The only things wrong were a slight increase in his blood pressure, an erratic heart rate, and shallow breathing.

"What happened to you now?" Severus whispered harshly as he strode into his rooms and gently laid the teen on his couch. He quickly summoned his hawk from the corner. With a quick hand, he pinned a note for Remus to find Neville and for both of them to return. The graceful bird accepted the letter and silently flew from the room as he opened his door once again.

When that was done, he returned to Harry's side. He decided that it would be unwise to force the teen awake and settled in to wait. It wouldn't bother him if Harry was disqualified from the first task. He'd have a lot of explaining to do, however, so Severus stared at his charge unblinkingly as he began to formulate plans for if the teen did not wake in time.

Remus and Neville arrived shortly, both were breathless. Severus told them he had no idea what happened and that they could only wait, so the two joined him in his watch, all of them hoping the small teen would be alright. Neville sat on the floor and held Harry's hand while Remus sat in the chair next to Severus's. No one spoke or made the slightest move to go to bed even as the hours dwindled and dawn came.

**Chapter end.**


	37. First Tasks: Reap What You Sow

**First Tasks: Reap What You Sow**

Dumbledore strode to the dungeons. He had checked the wards immediately when Harry didn't show up for breakfast and was dismayed to find the boy in Severus' quarters with Remus Lupin and Neville Longbottom. Something of great purport had to have happened for Severus to willingly allow a werewolf and Longbottom in his quarters! Therefore, Dumbledore didn't even bother with portraits and passwords when he reached his Potion Master's door and gestured it open with a wave of his hand.

The two teachers turned as they heard the door open. Remus and Severus were sitting next to each other in chairs by the couch, both looking exhausted and strained with worry. Neville was sitting on the floor, staring at Harry as he held his hand. Dumbledore frowned severely as he took in Harry's flushed and feverish face, scrunched in pain, and how he lay limp and unconscious on the couch.

"What is going on and why wasn't I informed immediately!" he demanded.

"Sir." Severus stood stiffly. "I found Potter unconscious in the hallway about an hour ago." Which was a lie. He'd found Harry a good seven hours ago, now. "I was going to take him to the infirmary, but I deemed that unwise. I brought him here instead. I’ve just finished examining the boy and my gut reaction was correct. Nothing physical ails him. His illness is completely mental in nature. As soon as I recovered my breath, I was going to come fetch you."

"And how did Remus and Neville come to be here?" Dumbledore gave his once-student a dark look, not sure if he could believe his spy. This was just too coincidental.

"I have the Marauder's map, sir," Remus spoke calmly. "I saw Severus bring Harry here and came to check on him. Neville was with me. He woke early this morning and, when he found Harry not in bed, came to ask me if I had seen him."

"Why didn't one of you two fetch me if Severus was busy?"

"I didn't think of it, Headmaster." Remus shrugged. "I wanted to be here if Harry woke."

"Me, too," Neville spoke softly, barely audible.

"I see." Dumbledore was still frowning, but it was less harsh. "What can we do, Severus? Harry must show up for the briefing before the task in half an hour."

"I don't know what caused this and I’m unconvinced forcing him awake would be the best course of action," Severus said evenly. His face betrayed none of his dislike or protective anger.

"We must chance it." Dumbledore stepped closer and raised his wand.

"No!" Neville jumped to his feet. He lost all clumsiness and his eyes practically glowed with ferocity. "Professor Snape said it might hurt him to force him awake! You can't!"

Remus reached out and put a hand on Neville's shoulder, but he didn't tell him to stop.

Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at both of them. "It is very good you care for Harry, Neville, but this must be done. If the reaction is negative, then we can put him back to sleep."

Neville didn't move and Severus thought he could feel the faintest tremor in the stone under his feet. He flashed the Wolf a warning glance and Remus pulled Neville toward him.

"Very good, my boy." Dumbledore smiled and cast Ennervate on Harry.

The teen whimpered, but he didn't wake. 

Dumbledore frowned. It was unacceptable for Harry to miss this task. The consequences would be terrible. The teen had already been fodder for the press. Missing the first task would turn the Wizarding World against him and forever put in doubt his strength. As the future leader of the Light, Harry could not afford that.

"Maybe he should rest," he said with false sympathy. "His health is more important than the Tournament, by Godric's sword."

Harry's eyes flew open. They were so dark, the green was almost black. His mouth fell open in a silent scream and his body convulsed once before the teen curled up on his side and laid panting and moaning, sweat drenching him in seconds. 

Neville cried out in fury and dismay, dropping to his knees and rubbing Harry's back soothingly. Severus flung his robe open and pulled potions from his pocket while Remus stood rigid, fighting with all his strength to keep from attacking the headmaster. A light growl could be heard coming from his throat.

Harry glared up at the headmaster even as he whimpered. Severus blocked his view and asked him softly what potions he needed. Harry could hardly think. His head felt like molten lava and his eyes felt dry as the desert. He would have cursed if he had the strength. As it was, the pain in his head was so great he couldn't even feel the rest of his body. So he closed his eyes and tried to endure the agony.

A vial was put to his lips and he swallowed too tired to fight, but he promised himself he would kill the headmaster when he had the chance. Things still weren't settled from the merge, memories and impressions were still jumbled and blurred, and it was because of the fucking leash burning against his brain. It transferred over, as well, and was seeing the merge as an attack on it and fighting back. Of course, he couldn't stop the merge, and by now, it was almost complete. Oh, he would hurt the headmaster for this. It was only fair.

"Harry, my boy?" Dumbledore asked with concern, eyes bright with innocence.

"Fuck. Off,” Harry growled and obediently swallowed the second vial Severus put to his lips.

He winced as the curtain of pain surrounding his head thinned and in its place emotions spiked and swirled in his mind. Dumbledore was flashing with rage and Neville was see-sawing from amusement and concern. Severus was tight with anxiety, a chaotic spill of uncertainty and anger. Remus was the worst. The werewolf was close to the surface and the shear hunger for blood and destruction burned against Harry's raw mind.

"Please…" he whimpered, too desperate to care how pathetic he sounded. "Sev'rus… help…" He grasped his hair and tears streamed from his eyes as he began to have a panic attack of his own.

Severus was confused for a moment, but then he pounced. He dropped to his knees and gently put his hands on his child's temples, his black eyes piercing through the torment-filled eyes before him. Very carefully, he applied his own barriers to the teen's mind. The rolling agony he found made him grit his teeth. When he finished, Harry sighed and went limp, sprawled on the couch.

"Severus? What happened?" Dumbledore demanded.

The dark-eyed man said nothing. He was too enraged. If he spoke, he'd reveal his true emotions and feelings toward the man, and they couldn't have that. Instead, he acted disorientated and hoped he could calm before Dumbledore grew impatient. 

Harry immediately grasped Severus' vulnerability and protective fury gave him the strength to open his eyes and speak. Besides, he didn't want the old bastard knowing about his empathy or anything else if he could help it. "Didn't you hear me? Go away, Dumbledore," he snarled softly.

"Harry, child…" Dumbledore said with concern, but his eyes blazed with warning.

"Look," he ground out. "I'm in severe pain here. Can you wait one goddamn minute for explanations? Don't worry about the fucking Tournament. I'll be there."

"Very well," Dumbledore rumbled. "But after the first task we will talk, young man. About respecting your elders and watching your language."

Harry turned his face away. "Looking forward to it."

"Come, Neville, Remus. Let's let Harry recover." Dumbledore herded the two toward the door.

They went unresisting only because they knew if they argued that would let Dumbledore stay longer. 

Harry turned his head to look at Severus and saw the man was watching him like a hawk, but because Severus' mind was still containing him he could also sense his emotions quite clearly. He was concerned and suspicious and protective. He smiled and relaxed, just soaking up the man's care and affection, though Severus would die before he ever called it that.

"Are you well? The briefing should start in two minutes," Severus' cool, smooth voice washed over him.

"Peachy." Harry gave a dark smile and opened his eyes. They were brighter, though still tense with pain. "It's just a normal migraine now. I might even be able to sit up."

"Now isn't the time for jokes," Severus scolded softly, carefully not raising his voice. He had been the victim of migraines as well and knew sound and light would only aggravate it.

"Got anymore potions?" Harry asked with a sigh.

"I do, but you can't have them without risking an overdose." Severus paused. "Care to explain what happened? And are you Gabriel or Harry?"

"Both." Harry met the man's eyes. "We merged. I didn't want to go to sleep anymore and not know what was going on. I wanted to help Cedric and Viktor, so I accepted Gabriel back..." He sighed. "It wouldn't have hurt if it weren't for Dumbledore's fucking brand. In fact, I already feel… I don't know… stronger, surer. Like I've only been half-awake and now I'm here for the first time."

Severus didn't know how he felt about this. He felt proud of Harry for merging another alter, but for the Host to now be a good portion of Gabriel worried him. What would the headmaster make of this? How would this affect the balance with the other alters? But his worries lifted a bit when he saw the truly happy expression on Harry's face. He did seem much more comfortable in his body now. The meek aura was gone, but his eyes held the same amount of affection and care. He was still the Harry he knew.

"Very well." He strode to his private potions cabinet. "We have two minutes to get you on your feet."

Harry settled back with a pleased smile, completely trusting Severus to take care of him.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was the last to enter the Champions' tent, and Bagman turned to face him with a nervous face. Seeing it _was_ Harry that had just entered, his whole face lit up and he cried, "Harry! Good-o!" It took all of Harry's self-control to hide his wince at the shout. His head was still painfully fragile. If it weren't for Severus even now Occluding for him, he'd be writhing on the floor in agony. They'd have to get Dumbledore's leash off soon. That was all there was to it.

"Well, now we're all here – time to fill you in!" Bagman said brightly.

As he blathered on, Harry looked around at the other Champions. Fleur was sitting in a corner on a low wooden stool. She didn't look nearly as composed as usual, but rather pale and clammy. Harry couldn't use his empathy at the moment, but if he had to guess, he'd say she was terrified. Viktor looked even surlier than usual, but Harry knew that for a front and thought his eyes were grim. Cedric was bouncing on the heels of his feet, he was nervous and twitchy. His eyes were wide.

Harry was almost tempted to reassure them that he'd be watching them and everything would be fine. It wasn't like helping the other Champions was against the rules, no one ever considered any Champion would, but despite that, Harry didn't say anything. They probably would be insulted since he was younger than them and he didn't want to tip his hand too soon. Silas would kill him if he did. And where was his Slytherin alter?

**Sy? You awake?**

Nothing. Harry worriedly bit his lip, hoping very hard that Silas was alright and just ignoring him. He knew that wasn't true - Silas would never abandon him in such a critical moment - but it was better than fretting himself useless with worry that Silas was hurt. Hey! Maybe they just couldn't talk to each other anymore! ... No. That didn't make sense. He had been able to hear Silas before the change, so he should be able to now.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts as Bagman turned to him and offered a pouch. He pulled out the only thing inside and looked at his miniature dragoon with a number four. Good. Looks like the bad luck charm he had cast on himself worked. He got the hardest and last dragon. Now he could help the others without anyone knowing. Hopefully. He turned his back on the other Champions and subtly canceled the charm.

**No need to make my battle for the Golden Egg harder than it has to be,** he thought with a pained grin. **Things will be hard enough with this damn migraine. I definitely have to do something about Dumbledore!**

"Now… Harry… could I have a quick word? Outside?"

"Er… yes," Harry said blankly. 

He hadn't expected this. He followed the cheery, round man out of the tent and around the back. When Bagman turned with a concerned expression, Harry had to bite back a groan. Not another overly concerned pep-talk!

"Feeling all right, Harry? Anything I can get you?"

"I'm fine, sir." He flashed a smile and tried to look confident. He _was_ confident for himself, but he was still concerned about the others. Even now he could hear the roars of the dragons. It would be very easy for someone to get severely hurt today.

"Got a plan? Because I don't mind…"

"Really, I'm fine, Mr. Bagman." Harry shook his head. "We could get in trouble if anyone found us talking like this. Let's go back."

"If you're sure…" Bagman was frowning.

"I am." Harry sighed. Just then a whistle blew.

"Good Merlin, I've got to run!" Bagman hurried off without another word.

"Saved by the whistle." Harry chuckled and went back to the tent.

Cedric was just leaving and he looked greener than ever. Harry clasped his shoulder bracingly, but he doubted the seventh year even felt it. Inside the tent, Fleur was staring off into space, but Viktor looked over and Harry read a question in his eyes. He shrugged in answer and turned back to the tent flap, peeking out. There were about ten feet of grass between him and the doorway through the temporary wooden, coliseum-type stands.

If he could get across without being seen, he'd be able to watch Cedric's match and offer discrete assistance when needed. He couldn't see any guards. Everyone was too interested in watching the match themselves. The crowd was cheering and screaming sending sharp spikes of pain through his brain. 

Harry grit his teeth and turned to face the others. "I'm going to go closer to see what's happening."

Fleur glared. "That is against de rules."

"I know you want to see, too." Harry smiled. "Come on. It's not like it will help us any. I just want to make sure Cedric is alright."

Fleur eyed him and then nodded. Viktor said nothing, but he followed when they crept out of the tent. They went through the short corridor and peeked into the arena just as the Swedish Short-Snout blew fire at the Hufflepuff's exposed back. Harry chanted a quick spell that, thankfully, went unheard as the crowd roared. Cedric was flung forward, his shirt singed, but his skin undamaged.

"That was a close one! Good thing he dodged at the last second or this Champion would have lost the task before it really got started!" Bagman's voice filled the stadium.

Harry was looking around. Surely Cedric wasn't trying to get to the egg without any magical help whatsoever…. There! A black Labrador was running through the rocks. It did distract the dragon, but the Short-Snout always returned to Cedric as he tried to get closer to the nest. Harry concentrated and began to mutter. Sweat fell into his eyes, but he couldn't afford to move and wipe it away. He gasped when he finally finished and the pressure in his chest snapped and lifted. He would have fallen if Viktor hadn't reached over and steadied him.

The Labrador was barking and snarling. Cedric's illusion now not only fooling the eyes but the ears and nose as well. The dragon's head snapped around and she tried attacking the quick and darting threat. Cedric made better forward progress, but still had to be careful as the dragon always snapped around at him if he moved too quickly. Finally, after about fifteen minutes, Cedric dove and got the egg. The dragon turned and blew fire at him furiously, but the seventh year was rolling into safety behind some boulders. Harry knew he'd be fine and tugged on Fleur and Viktor to get them to return to the tent.

"Very good indeed!" they could hear Bagman cry. "And now for the marks from the judges!"

Harry sat in a chair feeling tired and satisfied. He watched Fleur talk herself up and she walked out of the tent with her head held high. Viktor raised an eyebrow and Harry smiled and got to his feet. The German boy shook his head. They snuck back to the door to the arena and found Fleur singing up at a Welsh Green.

Harry had a sudden urge to give in and take a nap and quickly cast a deafening charm on himself and Viktor who had sat down with his eyes closed in preparation for a nap. Viktor blinked at him with a frown and then blushed a bright red. Harry snickered and turned his attention back to the French girl and dragon.

The Welsh Green was swaying, his eyes half-lidded. This was going to work. Harry felt proud of Fleur, but then she made a mistake. She moved too soon; the dragon was not completely under the power of her song. Harry could see the dragon growing more aware as the seconds passed and Fleur didn't notice it. She was looking at the eggs.

She was just within reach when the dragon bellowed and released a huge stream of fire. Harry cast a shield charm and only her skirt went up in flames instead of her skin. The determined girl didn't stop to put out the fire until after she snagged the egg and ran back to safety. Then she quickly cast a water charm. Harry shook his head. That girl really, really wanted to win.

"Harry, I do not vant you to interfere vith me. I can do vis on my own," Krum spoke up once they reached the tent. "You need to rest and prepare for your own dragon. Promise me, you vill not leave vis tent."

"But…" Harry protested.

"No. Ve are friends, I thought. Trust me as a friend. I can do vis."

Harry knew Viktor was serious. His eyes told him that. He sighed. "Alright. I trust you. But if you get hurt…"

"I know. You vill not let me forget it!" Viktor gave him a rare smile and strode from the tent.

It was worse than Harry could ever have imagined, sitting there and listening. The crowd screamed… yelled… gasped like a single entity as Viktor did whatever he was doing. Bagman's vague commentary made everything worse. Harry fidgeted with his shirt and bit his lip, hoping he had made the right decision. 

**Oh, Viktor better not even have a scratch!** At least Harry knew Viktor was still alive and moving by the screaming crowd. The wait ended sooner than he thought it would, sooner than Cedric and Fleur anyway, and Harry smiled triumphantly. **Way to go, Viktor!**

Harry stood and made his way to the arena as Bagman called his name. Spells, charms, hexes, and curses that affected dragons flashed through his mind. He stepped into the bolder strewn arena and saw his Horntail sitting in the center with malevolent eyes. The sound of the crowd and Bagman's hysteric voice was even louder and Harry rubbed at his temples. His hands were shaking with fatigue and stress.

"Fuck it," he muttered. "I just have to get the egg, not fight the dragon. Accio Firebolt!"

…

Harry was bustled into the first aid tent still burning with adrenaline. The Golden Egg sat securely in his hands and he stared at it as Madam Pomfrey dealt with the gash in his shoulder where the dragon's tail had sliced into him as he dove for the eggs. Cedric was across the way and the Hufflepuff waved cheerily when Harry looked up at him. His face was scorched, but he'd be fine. Harry smiled back. His attention was distracted when a group of people came darting into the tent.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione said tearfully. There were fingernail marks on her face where she had been clutching it in fear. "You were amazing! You really were!"

Ron was standing next to her, his face white. "Harry, whoever put your name in that goblet – I – I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

"Caught on, have you?" Harry glared. "Took you long enough." But as he stared at his first friend, his anger melted away. He really hated it when they were fighting. With a loud sigh, he managed to smile. "Forget it."

“No." Ron looked miserable. "I shouldn't've been such a prat. I'm really sorry, Harry."

"It's alright." He got off the bed and gave his friend a quick squeeze. This time his smile was truly happy. "Really, Ron. Forget it."

Ron's shoulders drooped in relief and Hermione burst into relieved tears. Neville shook his head at her and pat her back reassuringly. Harry could tell by his brother's expression that he wasn't happy Ron was forgiven, but like Remus had said Ron hadn't done anything unforgivable. He had only ignored him. Sure it had hurt, but he wouldn't feel any better if he continued to fight with the redhead.

**So I take it your emotions are going to blunt your thirst for justice and fairness?** Silas murmured weakly. **I can't say that's an improvement, really.**

**Silas!**

**Don't shout,** the Slytherin hissed.

**Are you alright?** Harry meekly lowered his voice. **Are you hurt?**

**Just a headache. The transfer of the mental portkey from back alter to Host did some damage, but it's healing. Demon also woke for a bit, but the door held and kept him Inside. I think the fewer alters there are in here, the more awake he gets because there are fewer alters between him and consciousness.**

Harry lowered his head. **Sorry.**

**Don't be. This was going to happen sooner or later, so it doesn't matter. We'll deal with it. Demon is still very much locked away,** Silas reassured and his voice was beginning to sound stronger. **I take it you beat the task and all the other Champions survived.**

Harry nodded. **Yeah.**

**Congratulations,** Silas sneered, but Harry could tell he was honestly glad for him.

**Thanks, Sy.**

"Harry!" Ron shook his arm. "Are you listening?"

"What?" Harry blinked and looked around. He was walking back to the arena. Hermione was gone, but Neville was on his other side looking worried.

"I was telling you about what the other Champions did.” Ron grinned. "It was awesome!"

"You okay, Gabe?" Neville whispered in his ear.

"Harry. Just Harry now," he whispered back. 

Neville gaped at him in shock and Harry snickered.

" _What_?" Ron bellowed furiously. " _Four_? You lousy, biased scumbag, you gave Krum ten!"

Harry smiled at his friend. He didn't care about points at all, but having Ron on his side again was the best reward he could be given. He didn't tell Ron this, of course, but his heart felt lighter than it had in a very long time. He turned and found the twins running up to him with huge grins. Harry grinned back and accepted their big hugs.

"You're tied in first place, Harry!" – "You and Krum!" they said excitedly.

"Where have you two been?" Harry yelled back.

"Had some business to take care of," one winked.

"Speaking of, we've got to run. See you back in the Tower, Harry!"

Mr. Crouch came and collected Harry and the other Champions. They returned to the tent. Cedric had a bandage around his head and Fleur had a few healing scrapes, but Viktor was fine. He winked once at Harry and Harry grinned back at the Seeker. Crouch coughed and they settled down.

"The next task will take place at half past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth. The eggs you have collected is your only clue, so be diligent in exploring them."

Harry and the Champions exchanged happy glances and hurried out of the tent. Harry was snagged by the arm and expected to see one of his friends. Instead, he came face to face with a viciously smiling Rita Skeeter. Silas growled in their head and Harry bared his teeth in warning.

"Congratulations, Harry! I wonder if you could give me a quick word? How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel now, about the fairness of the scoring?"

"Sorry," he smiled sharply. "I gave Melissa Silverwood exclusive rights to my interviews during the Tournament. _She_ promised to represent me fairly."

Rita gaped at him as he turned and stomped back up to the castle.

**That was supposed to be a surprise,** Silas drawled.

**Did you see the look on her face?** Harry laughed. **It was worth it!**

**You know,** Silas said slowly and then his voice lit with a smug amusement. **I think you're right.**

Harry laughed with delight and walked into the Entrance Hall. He was immediately swept up by the Gryffindors and his friends. They were cheering and talking in a rapid flow. Harry, triumphant and exhilarated, gave way to them. Not even the pounding of his head and the thinning of Severus' Occluding barriers could make him feel bad.

They were halfway to the Tower when Dumbledore stepped out of the shadows and asked with twinkling eyes for Harry to come with him for a short moment. Suddenly, the world didn't seem so great anymore. Harry tried to fight his expression blank, but it kept folding into a glare. Silas was still and small in their head, keeping his opinions to himself. Harry was glad. He cared about Silas greatly, but there was no way he was going to give the Headmaster an inch after all he had done to him!

Dumbledore gestured to the chair in front of his desk as he sat in his own. "Have a seat, Gabriel."

"I think I'll stand, thanks,” Harry snapped.

"Care to tell me what happened this morning?"

**You have to tell him something or he'll dig until he gets the truth,** Silas hissed, desperately wanting Out, but the portkey prevented him. **Say you were attacked in the halls. Don't remember the attacker. The spell caught you when you were coming Out to protect Harry and messed up the transition.**

Harry crossed his arms defiantly, but he said what Silas wanted him to.

Dumbledore stared at him calmly over his half-moon glasses and smiled when Harry finished explaining. "I'm sorry the school was upset with you these past few weeks, but I feel the mood will change now that the first task is through."

"Can I go?" Harry said impatiently.

"Yes. You did very, very well. I'm proud of you, Gabriel." Dumbledore smiled and it made Harry want to run. "Rest with ease."

With a startled gasp, Harry collapsed, unconscious.

**xXxXxXx**

The soul chamber had changed when Harry and Gabriel merged. Originally, the sitting room had white carpet and a single black couch facing the window to the Outside. The walls were gray stone and draped with neutral cream curtains and had the four doors to the other alters’ soul rooms. Now the sitting room had only three doors branching off from it and that wasn't the only difference.

A pale gold chaise lounge with two dark red pillows stood to the side where Gabriel's door had been. On either side of it, there were two mahogany bookshelves with dozens of magical and physical defense books. The black couch had become a warm brown, but it still sat in the center of the room. Curtains still draped along the walls between the doors, now a deep red. 

Silas was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands, but his eyes alertly watching the window. He hissed when the headmaster banished Harry and he jumped to his feet, already moving to where the chaise lounge stood. Harry formed, curled up and deeply asleep. He didn't look how Gabriel saw himself anymore, but he didn't look exactly like their shared body either.

Harry had manifested taller and a bit more muscled. His hair was straighter, but still black and thick. He didn't need glasses. Silas didn't know whether his eyes were green or blue, but he didn't think he'd ever have a chance to find out. If his guess was correct, Harry would always form sleeping in the soul chamber, but Silas would be able to talk to him whenever he wanted when Harry was Out.

Silas noticed the crown of light was still there. It pulsed angrily, still unhappy about the merge. Dumbledore's voice drifted through the window. He was calling Silas. The Slytherin straightened and made his face go blank, but before he went Out he reached down and stroked Harry's hair once. He wasn't sure if he was soothing himself or Harry and he shook his head at his own silliness.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas opened his eyes, narrowed against the pounding pain in his head. Dumbledore stood and offered him a hand up. His eyes were twinkling like mad and Silas narrowed his still further. Moving carefully so as not to display his weakness, Silas stood on his own and arrogantly began brushing off his shirt. It was stained from the battle with the dragon. It was a cold reminder of the power this man held to hurt him.

He looked up and met the headmaster's eyes, knowing that Severus would be aware that Harry was no longer in control by the shattering of his Occlumency shields. It was nice to know someone would rescue him if things got too desperate up here.

"Is there something you needed?" he asked gently, more because he was sure his head would explode if he talked loudly than because of the act he had committed himself to for the old manipulator.

Dumbledore chuckled and stroked his beard. "Gabriel doesn't care much for authority figures."

**No, it's just you he hates,** Silas thought, but he answered the way he knew the old man wanted him to. "He's confident in his own abilities and judgment and doesn't see the need for guidance."

"I see." Dumbledore folded his hands on his stomach. "How do you feel about today's battle?"

"It was ridiculous," Silas answered immediately. "We could have gotten hurt and for what? Points in a Tournament? It's not acceptable."

"But Gabriel enjoyed it."

"I'm sure.” Silas shrugged. "I must go. If I stay too long…"

"I did want to share with you another memory I have found." Dumbledore smiled kindly. He moved to the alcove and brought over his Pensieve. "It should only take ten minutes." Silas nodded, secretly doing all he could to hide his pain and remain steady. "You will remember, I am sure, that we left the tale of Lord Voldemort's beginnings at the point where the handsome Muggle, Tom Riddle, had abandoned his witch wife, Merope, and returned to his family home in Little Hangleton while Merope was left to fend for herself in London."

Silas couldn't help but notice how much the headmaster loved to emphasize the fact that Voldemort's father was Muggle. Of course it was humorous to imagine all Voldemort's little cockroaches finding that out, but he had no idea why it was so important to Dumbledore that Silas know that fact. Dumbledore stared at him as if expecting a response, but Silas just didn't have the strength to indulge in trivial words. The old man didn't seem to mind too badly and continued, loving the sound of his own voice Silas was sure.

"I know she was in London because of the evidence of one Caractacus Burke, who helped create the very shop where the necklace we saw previously around Merope's neck ended up." He gestured to the Pensive and swirled it once.

The face of a man floated to the surface and Silas fought a sneer of impatience. Dumbledore chuckled, oblivious to Silas's simmering temper. Thankfully something was happening and a voice of a man lifted out of the Pensieve as the Burke's face spoke up at them.

"Yes, we acquired this locket in curious circumstances. It was brought in by a young witch just before Christmas, oh, many years ago now. She said she needed gold badly, well, that much was obvious. Covered in rags and pretty far along and going to have a baby soon. She told me that the locket had been Slytherin's. Well, I heard that sort of thing all the time, but sure enough, after testing it, I realized she was telling the truth. Of course, that made it near priceless. She didn't seem to have any idea how much it was worth. Happy to get ten Galleons for it. Best bargain I ever made!"

Dumbledore shook the Pensieve and the memory stopped and settled to the bottom. He looked over at Silas. "So we know that, near the end of her pregnancy, Merope was alone in London and in desperate need of gold, desperate enough to sell her one and only valuable possession, the locket that was one of Marvolo's treasured family heirlooms."

**Thank's for the recap,** Silas thought silently, but he couldn't stop the sneer. Dumbledore merely smiled brighter at him. He had to clench his teeth not to growl.

"It's my belief – I am guessing again, but I am sure I am right – that she didn't use magic to aid her because she had stopped since her beloved husband had abandoned her. I do not think that she wanted to be a witch any longer. Of course, it is also possible that her unrequited love and the attendant despair sapped her of her powers; that can happen. In any case, as you are about to see, Merope refused to raise her wand even to save her own life."

**I highly doubt she couldn't use her magic for any of the reasons you stated, senile old coot.** Silas was biting the inside of his lip now. If it weren't for how potentially useful the information could possibly be, he would have walked out long ago.

Dumbledore gestured for them to actually enter the Pensieve and he sighed as his face touched the silver liquid. He watched silently as a younger but still thoroughly annoying and arrogant Dumbledore went to the orphanage to collect an eleven-year-old Tom Riddle. Silas ignored the bastard as much as he could and focused on the child. He was haunted and jittery, sure signs of long being prey and hunted. Silas was disgusted by Dumbledore's passive aggressive behavior and how his body language screamed that Tom was being judged already.

Tom was obviously a child desperate to believe he was worth something because the people in his world tried so hard to make him believe he wasn't. Silas had seen his moment of happy joy at being told he was a wizard and going to be taken from his hated world. This was a damaged but salvageable child.

But Silas knew Tom wouldn't be saved. Knew from his meeting the diary Tom that Dumbledore's suspicious and degrading and overall non-helpful attitude would only worsen, making Tom feel trapped and defensive. Obviously the child didn't know how to form healthy connections to others, and instead of getting help he was left to sink or swim all the while being watched from the sidelines with the expectations of failure. It wasn't a surprise that Tom had cracked and sunk instead of swimming.

They landed outside the Pensieve and Dumbledore sighed. He looked for all the world like he couldn't understand how a child so young could go so wrong. Silas ground his teeth and promised himself that this man would NEVER get more power over him than he already had.

"Yes, Riddle was perfectly ready to believe that he was – to use his word – special," Dumbledore said sadly, like it was a failing.

**But we are special, you stupid bastard,** Silas thought coldly. **Compared to Muggles, we're mythical creatures! Tom had every right to feel that way. Every Muggle child does when they first learn of magic and Hogwarts. He should have gotten counsel and guidance, not your condemnation!**

"I was intrigued by him,” Dumbledore went on. "I returned to Hogwarts intending to keep an eye upon him, something I should have done in any case, given that he was alone and friendless, but which, already, I felt I out to do for others' sake as much as his. His powers, as you heard, were surprisingly well-developed for such a young wizard and – most interestingly and ominously of all – he had already discovered that he had some measure of control over them."

**It wouldn't have been ominous if you had liked him. Instead it would have been amazing and he would have been seen as a prodigy,** Silas sneered. Dumbledore was too caught up in himself to notice.

"And as you saw they were not the random experiments typical of young wizards. He was already using magic against other people, to frighten, to punish, to control. The little stories of the strangled rabbit and the young boy and girl he lure into a cave were most suggestive… 'I can make them hurt if I want to...' he had said." Dumbledore sighed again.

Silas sighed too, but for different reasons. He knew, unlike Dumbledore, that in a hostile environment where you were helpless, there was no time or luxury to use new found abilities for frivolous pursuits. Of course Tom's magic developed in a way to intimidate and hurt. He was protecting himself from torment. Harry’s magic had hurt Dudley only once. Not that Harry knew he had magic at the time. Boy stayed Out for a long time after that. Forever after his magic only seemed to manifest to help him escape, hide, and cause diversions, but Tom had no one to stop him from lashing out.

"Time is making fools of us.” Dumbledore stood and put the Pensieve away. "There is time for more of this later. But before we part, I want to draw your attention to certain features of the scene we have just witnessed; for they have a great bearing on the matters we shall be discussing in future meetings.

"I trust you noticed that Tom Riddle was already highly self-sufficient, secretive, and friendless? He did not want help or companionship on his trip to Diagon Alley. He preferred to operate alone. The adult Voldemort is the same. You will hear of his Death Eaters claiming that they are in his confidence, that they alone are close to him, even understand him. They are deluded. Lord Voldemort has never had a friend, nor do I believe that he has ever wanted one.

"And lastly – I hope you are not too sleepy to pay attention to this, Silas – the young Tom Riddle liked to collected trophies. You saw the box of stolen articles he had hidden in his room. These were taken from victims of his bullying behavior, souvenirs, if you will, of particularly unpleasant bits of magic. Bear in mind this magpie-like tendency, for this, particularly, will be important later.

"Now it is time for you to return to your Tower and celebrate." Dumbledore smiled brightly and looked at him with gentle authority. "Gabriel, no matter what you may think, did wonderfully today."

Silas nodded once and left the room as gracefully as he could. He was highly embarrassed that the bastard had noticed his weakness and so rudely pointed out his failure to hide it. He also felt pity for the young boy who had been written off when he didn't have to be. Not that that changed Silas' position. No matter the whys or his abstract sympathy, Voldemort was a threat to himself and that wouldn't change.

He made his way to the dungeons. He knew he'd have trouble explaining his absence to the Gryffindors, but he really couldn't deal with a party at the moment. He was barely holding things together as it was. The stress of being pushed to the front and the added responsibilities that had landed in his lap were almost too much.

He had given up the Host position _because_ he couldn't deal with day-to-day interactions and tasks. He was better at planning the future or contemplating the motives of others. Having to be more active to keep up his charade with Dumbledore, his interactions with Draco, untangling Voldemort's current plot, and desperately spinning plans to preserve his life as well as the lives of the other alters was just too much for him to handle. Going to Gryffindor Tower was not an option. Boy was already trembling on the brink of coming Out.

"Silas?" Severus opened his door and gestured him in immediately. "I felt Harry's sudden retreat; I assume you were called forward by the Headmaster?"

"I was." Silas sighed and sat on the couch. He didn't bother looking up at his mentor or even trying to conceal his exhaustion and strain. "We will discuss it later. For right now, I need a safe place to sleep." He leaned over carefully and lay down. He was asleep almost before he was completely horizontal and he hadn't even had time to pull his legs up on the couch with him.

Severus frowned worriedly down at his student, carefully lifting the teen’s legs and making his position more comfortable. Severus watched him for a minute longer. Things were getting progressively more dangerous and the situation worse. He just couldn't understand how everything could spiral out of control so quickly.

They still didn't know how to transfer that damnable portkey-crown from around Gabe… No, it was just Harry now. And he still hadn't discovered who placed Harry's name in the goblet besides Dumbledore, and the mangy mutt was right about the Death Eaters becoming more active. It seemed like threats to Harry's sanity and life were converging from all sides. They had neither bulwark to hide behind nor a weapon powerful enough to defend themselves with.

Severus straightened his spine and snarled silently. He hadn't been helpless in decades and he wasn't going to return to it now. He was hardly powerless. He would protect Harry. Severus turned and stalked to his office. There was much to be done.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke the next morning with a groan. Rubbing his head he looked around and was only half surprised to find himself on Severus's couch. His Occlumency shields were still down and he could feel the sedate and dreaming-like emotions coming from his mentor's bedroom. Luckily, he couldn't feel anyone else in the school through the powerful wards Severus always kept around his rooms.

Checking with the Tempus charm, Harry realized it was only five in the morning. He curled up against the side of the couch and began to Occlude. It was hard. As Gabriel, he hadn't really cared about Occluding. As Harry, he found it difficult but necessary. A clear blue sky with fluffy clouds to protect and conceal his mind wasn't working as well as before. With a scowl, he opened his eyes. If he couldn't Occlude, going to classes was going to be very unpleasant.

**Your image doesn't fit you anymore,** Silas said and Harry could hear amusement in his tone. **Try picturing something different.**

**You're great at this; can't you do it for the both of us?** Harry whined.

**No. Now shut up and find a better image,** Silas scolded.

**Yeah, yeah.** Harry closed his eyes again. 

He still liked the idea of a sky, but maybe fluffy clouds weren't exactly what he felt like. Something more energetic… The image of smoky gray clouds came to mind and he let them boil through his mind. He could smell the rain they carried, could feel the soft drizzle as they hid and protected his mind from outside influences. A summer shower. Perfect. He grinned and opened his eyes.

**Not bad,** Silas admitted.

**Thanks, Sy. I could tell you helped.**

**Only a little. You're maintaining them all on your own,** Silas pointed out.

**Still… How's the damage in there? It's really annoying that I can't come In and talk to you face to face,** Harry huffed.

**Almost better, and you know why the Host can't have access to the Outside when forced In.**

**I know.**  

Harry got up and went to Severus' desk. He pulled a piece of paper and quill toward him and began to write. Sirius would be mad as it was that he had waited so long to contact him. He found himself grinning as he described in detail his battle with the dragon. He left out mention of how he helped the others. No one else needed to know that.

**You're hopeless,** Silas said in exasperation.

**Shut up.** Harry grinned. **The dragon was a lot of fun. It would have been even better if I didn't have a headache.**

**How is it now?**

**Still sore, but nothing like yesterday.**

**Good.** Silas scowled. **We're going to have to get that crown off as soon as possible.**

**I know.**

"Who are you writing?" Severus asked, coming into the room fully dressed.

Harry turned and smiled at him, loosening his shields so he could get faint empathetic readings. Determination and concern came through. "Sirius about the first task. I told him I would and I don't want him to worry that I died or something."

Severus glared, irritation flaring bright. "Come eat breakfast."

"Yes, sir." Harry signed his name and folded his letter up before joining his teacher at the small table. "No wonder you don't eat in the Great Hall and only glare around at us. You eat early."

"The student's behavior at breakfast is a very good indicator of mischief later in the day. Most come in barely awake, but if any are excited or energetic, it is a sure sign they are planning trouble," Severus answered casually, sipping at his tea.

Harry laughed and they ate in their customary silence. Severus read the paper as he ate and Harry just enjoyed his teacher's solid presence. When they were finished, he wasn't surprised when Severus gestured him back over to the couch. He smiled in bemusement, feeling like he was back at home.

"Have your feelings changed about the memories Rose provided you?" Severus asked as he settled in his chair.

"Yes and no.” Harry shrugged. "I still feel like I used to, but now I'm also angry at my aunt. I just couldn't manage that before. It still hurts, of course, and makes me feel really embarrassed, but mostly I want to move past it. I can't ever forget how I was treated and what that treatment did to me, but… I don't want to dwell on it. I've got a lot going on now and, really, I'm too busy to dwell on it."

"That's surprisingly mature," Severus said teasingly.

Harry laughed and shrugged. "I guess."

"Did you want to spar?" Severus raised an eyebrow in question.

"I would love to." Harry stood and followed his teacher into a nearby classroom that Severus had emptied for their defense lessons.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus carefully fought with his pupil, their daggers sparking as they struck each other. Harry hadn't lost any of his skill as a fighter, but the intensity was different. Where Gabriel went into every spar needing to win like it was a real battle, Harry didn't carry that intensity. He didn't pull any of his blows, but his goal had shifted to learning all he could instead of just winning. He would ignore an opening so that he could put into practice a new move he was being taught whereas Gabriel went for every opening no matter what.

Severus was pleased with the change because Harry would learn more things more quickly than Gabriel would have, but he hoped that in a real battle Harry would keep Gabriel's intensity and instinctual aggression. Any hesitation or over-planning in a fight could get him killed. Another thing that had changed with the merge was that Harry wanted praise. Gabriel was satisfied with the win, needing nothing more from anyone else, but Harry lit up when Severus remarked that he had done well.

Severus would have to keep watching for other consequences of the merge, but over all he felt that it was a good thing for Harry's state of mind and emotional health. The way he looked at his past was much stronger and healthier for certain, and he had lost his fearful insecurities about being Host and not Core. He was comfortable with who he was, and that included acknowledging his softer, loving side.

**xXxXxXx**

"Will you send this off for me?" Harry asked as he held up his letter to Sirius. "I have to get to the Great Hall and don't have time to stop by the Owlery."

Severus took the letter with a look of disdain. "If I must."

Harry smiled at him fondly before hurrying into the hallways and up to the Great Hall. When he got to the Gryffindor table, they all demanded to know where he had been the night before. Silas whispered to him the cover story he had thought up and Harry blushed.

**That's embarrassing!**

**But it will work,** Silas said smugly.

"Dumbledore wanted to talk to me about the Tournament and I kinda fell asleep in his office."

"Awww, Harry, was the dragon too much for you?" one of the twins cooed.

"Shut up, Fred." Lee Jordan shoved him. "You would have been a dragon snack if that had been you."

"Awww, that's not nice.” George pouted for his brother who was too busy laughing on the floor.

"Have you looked to see what's in the egg yet?" Ron asked.

"No. I have it here, too." Harry pulled it out of his bag and the whole table leaned in to see. Some were even standing on their seats.

"Open it, Harry!" a seventh year encouraged.

"Yeah, open it!"

Harry did so and a screaming wail roared through the room. Everyone flinched back and away with their hands clamped to their ears. Harry hurriedly snapped it shut once more. There was absolute silence and the other Houses turned to glare at them. Even the teachers were looking on with frowns.

"What do you think that was?" Hermione asked once the Hall went back to eating and ignoring them.

"I have no idea.” Seamus shook his head. "But it was awful."

"Maybe it was a banshee." Dean looked pale as he considered that.

"Mr. Potter, I hope you return that egg to your dorm before class," McGonagall said sternly as she came up behind them. "Don't forget you are to work on the clue by yourself."

"Yes, ma'am." Harry smiled up at her sweetly and she huffed before walking away.

"See you guys in class!" Harry said to his friends and hurried from the Hall.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry blinked as he came awake already sitting in Charms. **Sy? What did you do?**

**Had to take care of something,** the Slytherin alter answered and wouldn't say anymore.

Harry smiled and turned his attention back to Professor Flitwick's lecture. He knew it probably had something to do with Serpentine and didn't push for more information. And besides, they were learning about heating charms and even though he already knew how to do that, it was funny watching his classmates. Seamus had already exploded his pot of tea and Hermione was lecturing Ron. He smiled and helped Neville when his wand began to smoke and he dropped it in panic.

**xXxXxXx**

That night Silas and Neville snuck down to the dungeons. It was late; the Gryffindor's kept Harry up with talk about the second task and the foreign students. They knocked and Severus let them in. Remus was there and the teens went to sit by him. Remus smiled tiredly. The full moon was coming soon.

"We need to discuss ways to protect ourselves from the various threats that have revealed themselves of late," Severus began. "The biggest threat at the moment is Dumbledore."

"Agreed," Remus growled.

Severus sneered at him in disgust. "With the Tournament and the political distractions the foreign schools provide, Dumbledore is busy. Unfortunately, he's not busy enough, so I propose launching a third distraction by getting the Ministers from Germany and France to cause trouble about Hogwarts having two Champions.”

“I thought Durmstrang was a Bulgarian school?” Neville asked.

Severus shook his head sharply once. “No. The school resides somewhere in Germany. However, many students like Krum come from surrounding countries to attend.”

Remus frowned. "They had all this time before now to protest Harry’s participation, why would they start now?"

"It's only been five weeks. Politically, that's not that much time," Severus argued.

"How are we going to get the Ministers to object?" Silas asked.

"That won't be difficult. I have resources, but in order for this to work best Harry has to pretend he did put his name in the goblet. If Harry keeps saying it wasn't him, then the Ministers will have to consider who did and admitting to the Death Eaters becoming organized or Merlin forbid actually acknowledging Voldemort might be back is something none of them are prepared to do."

"I understand." Silas glared unhappily. "We have an interview with Ms. Silverwood on Saturday. We'll change our stance then."

"Good." Severus nodded.

"I have a question…" Neville spoke up. "What about Harry's Animagus form? Now that he and Gabriel are the same, will he still be able to transform into a puma as well as the deer?"

"Probably not," Silas answered before the their teachers could. "Rose did not have an Animagus representation. There was only Harry's, so I think there will be only a single animal for Harry still."

"And you were only a snake even though you are also Kitten," Severus drawled.

Silas glared at him as both Remus and Neville looked at him with wide eyes. Severus kept his face blank, but Silas could tell the man was grimly pleased. He was just so damn stubborn sometimes! He wouldn't let go of his belief that Silas needed to confront the horrid issue. But if Severus thought bringing the fact that Silas was dealing with the sexual abuse and not Harry to the attention of Neville and Remus was going to change his mind, he was sorely mistaken.

Looking coldly at everyone there he said a simple, “Yes”, but it spoke volumes however and the subject was quickly changed.

"Well, you brewed the Animagus potion and there's some left. It shouldn't have gone bad yet, so you can take it again this weekend if you want," Remus suggested. His eyes were fully gold and no matter how hard he tried to appear calm, Silas was aware that the man was on the verge of a fit of rage.

"How's the transfer spell coming?" Neville asked, desperately trying to calm the tensions rising in the room.

"We've got most everything figured out, but there's still something missing." Remus sighed and ran a hand roughly through his hair. His eyes dimmed a bit and his shoulders relaxed. He nodded once in Severus' direction and the dark-eyed man stood, taking it as a cue.

"Things will fall into place soon, I believe," Severus spoke decisively. "I don't think we can do much more tonight. Both of you should meditate and then go back to the dorm."

"Yes, sir." Neville got up and sat in front of the fire. Silas rose gracefully from the couch and sat across from him. They both closed their eyes and began to clear their minds.

Severus and Remus left them to go into the study. They got everything they had carefully hidden and returned to dissecting the spell Dumbledore made and trying to build their own to counter it.

**xXxXxXx**

The next afternoon, Harry leapt over the side of the staircase and fell ten feet. He landed in a crouch and immediately rocketed forward. His eyes were wide with panic and worry, his breathing was harsh as he raced through the halls. 

It was Thursday. Every Thursday Neville had his lesson with Rowena from lunch time until dinner. Harry had been distracted with everything going on and he had asked about the lessons, but he never pushed for details. Guilt clawed at his throat and equaled the wave of utter despair he knew was Neville's.

He careened around the corner and came to a first floor boy's bathroom. At this time of day, it was completely empty and so were the surrounding classrooms. Harry threw the door open and stood there panting as he took in the sight of his brother sitting in the corner, his bloody arm in his lap, a razor in his other hand.

"Nev…" Harry swallowed. He walked forward slowly and knelt a few feet away. "What's wrong, brother?"

Tears filled Neville's pained brown eyes and he gently caressed the blade to his skin. Harry bit his lip, but he didn't move to stop him. He could feel the sharp edges of Neville's emotions rising up and cutting deep, startling his friend was the last thing he wanted to do. They sat in silence. Sometimes looking at each other, sometimes looking away.

Eventually, Neville began to shudder, as if he were coming awake. He looked down at his arm as if it were the first time he had seen it. Resignation lay heavy on him and disappointment but also a pained defiance that gave him the courage to meet Harry head on. "I'm sorry for worrying you. I'm fine now."

"No, you're not,” Harry disagreed gently. "I'm so sorry, Nev. I should have realized things have gotten bad again. I…" He looked down and twisted his hands fretfully. "It doesn't seem like I can be a good brother to you."

"Stop it," Neville said sharply. He stood and began roughly rinsing off his arm and muttering cleaning and banishing spells. He didn't mess them up once. "This isn't anything about you."

"I'm sorry," Harry didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to do to make it better. "Please… Please, Neville… Don't push me away. Talk to me. I'm here now."

Neville sighed and turned around. All evidence of what he had done was gone. "I don't know if I can explain it."

"Try," Harry whispered, practically choking on the tears Neville refused to show.

"I can't. Just…" He covered his face with his hands tiredly. "Just go away, Harry."

Harry laughed and the sound made Neville look up. "That's what you said to me last year. Do you remember? I caught you killing yourself after that fiasco with Sirius and leaving the passwords out. You told me to go away, but I couldn't. And I can't now." He stood and reached out, not daring to actually touch him, but offering support. "Please, you have to tell me or I can't understand."

"Harry…" Neville shook his head hard. He turned his back and leaned against the wall as he began to cry.

Harry knew that Neville didn't want him to touch him or comfort him, but he didn't want him to leave either. His emotions were distressed and desperate, so he did the only thing he could. He gave him space and pressed his back to the wall, silently telling him he was there. As he waited, he wondered angrily how he could have missed Neville's pain. He was so furious with himself he wanted to scream.

"It's the… the Earth inside me…" Neville finally spoke. His voice was lost and groping. "I've been pushing it away so long because… because it was this huge gaping presence that… that wanted to swallow me." He sighed and slid down the wall. 

Harry sat next to him, gently pressing their shoulders together. 

"And now… now I have to notice it. I have to… work within it and… It's so hard, Harry. It's so hard to fall inside this… awareness so much bigger than me… Bigger than magic, even… and then be expected to crawl back up.” He laughed and it was a broken sound. "It's… like nothing I can describe. I guess it's like dying. Like every time I’m forced to leave that place, I'm giving up the most precious thing in the world. It takes days… Days to totally shake loose the aftereffects and then Thursday's back again…" He hung his head, tugging at his hair so hard that Harry was sure he was going to tear out locks. "The cutting… It helps quicken the separation. It brings me back to being… human, I guess. Clears my mind and puts all of me back in my body and helps me dance a little further from the edge of the abyss."

“Neville." Harry grabbed his upper arm, squeezing it to convey all his worry. "Isn't there anything we can do? Rowena hasn't said how to make it easier? It can't be right for it to be this… _horrible_ for you!"

"I don't know." Neville sighed and dropped his hands. He turned his head to look at Harry and smiled weakly. "She says it will get better with time. I just have to get used to it, I guess."

"Have you told her how hard it is?" Harry pressed.

"Not in so many words, but she follows my progress and she knows I struggle." He pulled away. "Look, Harry… I… I know you mean well, and you really are like a brother to me… But I don't think you can help. I'm sorry you found out at all. Rowena's right. It will get better with time." He stood and Harry could only stare up at him helplessly. Neville had completely pulled away from him emotionally. "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Don't…" Neville lowered his head and clenched his fists. "Please don't tell Remus that you found me cutting. He… He thinks I've gotten better and stopped. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't say anything."

"But Nev…"

"Please, Harry. It's all I'm asking of you."

"Alright," Harry conceded. He hated it, but he felt he had no other choice. If Neville wasn't confiding in anyone, the worst thing he could do was betray his trust and leave him with no one to turn to. "I won't tell him, but will you talk to me about this more later?"

"Sure." Neville smiled tiredly and left him alone in the bathroom.

Harry sat numbly. His first reaction was a want to go see Severus, but he was pretty sure that wouldn't be a good idea. Severus would just tell Remus and that would be indirectly betraying his promise. Neville would be hurt and would stop trusting him and Harry didn't want that, but he had to do _something_! Neville was suffering! He had to get him help!

"Good evening, Harry."

Harry jumped about a foot in the air. He spun, glaring, at the smiling little phantom. "Rowena! You scared me! Make some noise next time!"

"Sorry." The phantom had the grace to blush. "I was just so eager to talk to you. I heard what Neville told you. I've been keeping an eye on him. I knew he was cutting again, but he never vocalized what was wrong, so I didn't know what was hindering him. He’s never willing to open up to me at all. I've been waiting for him to tell someone and now that he has…"

"Whoa! Slow down. I can't hardly understand you,” Harry said soothingly. "You know it's weird. I can't feel any of your emotions."

"Well, I'm not really here. This isn't my body. Hogwarts castle is my true body and this is just a projection." She shook her head hard. "That's not the point! The point is Neville."

"Do you think you can help him?" Harry asked hopefully, his green eyes bright.

Rowena frowned and brought up a strand of her black hair to her lips to chew on. It was a sure sign of her distress. She was usually quite calm and collected as well as logical. "I'm not sure. The problem is Neville is the first Elemental wizard in almost two hundred years. At least, the first I've come across or heard tale of. In the old days, Elemental wizards were valued and taught to embrace their gift. They were raised with love and encouragement by others who had the same gift from a very young age. Neville is very, very strong in his Elemental magic. I don't know if it's because he refused it for so long and it kind of concentrated within him, but I do know it's the source of his troubles. He fears it and doesn't feel comfortable with it. The Earth possesses him because it's the only way. He won't relax and let it touch him gently. He forces it to overwhelm him in order to be exercised and it's desperate to be released, Harry."

"Has the pressure let up at all since he's been working with you?" Harry asked desperately.

"It's like a house is sitting on him and we've removed the roof," she said and bit more anxiously at her hair.

"So not much, then." Harry took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. "What can we do?"

"I don't know!" the phantom practically wailed. "All I can do is teach him how to access his magic. The Earth calls to him. He can't ignore it. He won't even work on his Animagus form now that he knows he's a tree. I can't make him fear it less; I'm not even sure what it's like. I'm not an Elemental wizard, after all. I just study them. He needs someone of his own kind!"

"What do you mean?" Harry snapped.

"Elemental magic is difficult. It's powerful and alien to the magic most wizards and witches use. It has force, a will, but it's not at all human with human motivations or consciousness. But it has a being, a presence, and Neville could be lost to it. Every time we practice, he wears himself down. I'm afraid he might just let go and never return to his human self. He could be lost to us and his body would die."

"No!" Harry shook her hard. "I won't let him die! You said he needs help from someone else. Is there any way we can find another Elemental? There has to be a way!"

"There's not," Rowena put her arms around the distraught teen. "I'm sorry, Harry. I would have done it by now if there were a way, but there isn't. Short of posting an ad and hoping someone who is sincere answers, there's no spell that can locate an Elemental wizard or witch. Their magic is just too different from ours."

"But Neville is one.” Harry looked up at her desperately. "Maybe he could work the spell."

"If there is a spell like that, I don't know it." She shook her head regretfully. "And even if there were, Neville is in no shape to be casting Earth spells. He can't think or function inside his Earth magic at all, let alone shape it yet."

"There has to be something…" Harry pulled away and paced. "What about locking it away, like he did before these lessons? It made his magic weak, but he'd still be alive and well. He was happy this summer."

"That might work for the short term, Harry, but his magic won't be denied forever. What would happen if you cut yourself off from magic completely and utterly denied it and lived like a Muggle? There would come a day where you were threatened or you lost your temper and it would explode, killing you and most likely others," she said gently.

"But we could put it off until we had a way to help him deal with this," Harry continued stubbornly.

Rowena shook her head regretfully. "That might have worked before, but now that he's open and aware and tapped into the Earth magic, there's no going back. It's awake now, Harry. I don't think he could do anything to shut it off again or he would have already."

"You can't tell me that that's it!" he yelled. "You have to do something! This is your fault!"

"I know," she said with tearful blue eyes. "And I'm so sorry."

"It's not her fault."

Harry spun to see Salazar leaning against the wall. The young teen had disdainful brown eyes and thick black hair that he kept tied back at the base of his neck. Harry glared at him and the Slytherin glared back.

"She wanted to help. She didn't know that he was so messed up."

"He's not messed up!" Harry yelled defensively.

"Yes, he is," Salazar said ruthlessly. "He was messed up long before Rowena ever stepped into the picture, so don't take it out on her that he's about to self-destruct."

"Salazar Castle!" Rowena scolded furiously. "You show some compassion and manners! Harry and Neville are both going through difficult times and deserve more consideration from you!" She folded her arms and Harry found himself thinking of Hermione. "Now, I know I'm not the cause of all that boy's troubles, but I didn't help by shoving him into something he wasn't ready for. It was bad judgment on my part and I do hold blame for that.

"I was so intrigued by him being an Elemental, that I didn't fully consider his emotional or mental state. I also didn't take into consideration that most Elemental wizards grow up with their power active. Neville didn’t activate his until he was fourteen. I've made a dreadful mistake. It is incumbent on me to do everything I can and, by extension, all of the phantoms must help. We are Hogwarts and we mustn't ever hurt the students. We owe Neville restitution."

"I agree," Salazar scowled and crossed his own arms.

"I agree." 

A second boy formed beside the black-haired teen. He had a lion's patch and looked sleepy, but he was quickly coming fully awake. He had brown hair of a medium shade and hazel eyes. His eyebrows were heavy and he had thin lips. He was taller than Salazar by a good two inches and taller than Rowena by four. He didn't have a smiling face. In fact, he seemed like a very serious and grim type. Kind of like Percy, but not in a bookish way. Godric looked ready to spring into action at any moment.

"I agree," Helga said as she formed next to Godric. She was the shortest of the group, about five foot. Her long, thick golden hair was still in low hanging pigtails and her light blue eyes were alight with cheerfulness even now. Harry was just waiting for her to break out in giggles.

"Good." Rowena nodded firmly. "So what are we going to do about Neville?"

"Hello, Harry!" Helga gave a wave. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll be better when Neville is," Harry said grimly.

"How's the head?" Salazar smiled knowingly.

Harry rolled his eyes at them. "Better."

"We need a plan, guys,” Godric interrupted. "Rowena, what are our options? I don't know what we're dealing with."

"I'm not sure of our options. The goal is to get Neville to honestly, truly accept his Earth magic. As well as help him get a handle on controlling it. It's completely taking over. Can you manipulate the wards to replay the last… oh… half-hour in here?"

Godric nodded and waved his hand. Ghost images appeared and Harry watched silently. He prayed that one of the others would have an idea of how to make this better. Just the idea of losing Neville made his stomach twist in knots and panic claw at his throat. The images faded and the phantoms stood thoughtfully.

"Poor, Neville.” Helga sighed. "Rowena's right. He needs a mentor who knows what he's going through."

"Not possible," Salazar pointed out. He sounded bored and Harry glared at him.

"What about a second best candidate?" Godric said seriously. "He needs someone who has access to powerful magic, but who contains it well."

"Dumbledore?" Harry guessed his meaning. "No way! That bastard's not going anywhere NEAR Neville!"

"It could save his life," Godric said reasonably.

"Dumbledore may be messing up with you.” Salazar scowled. "But he's not going to mess up Neville. What would it gain him?"

“No," Harry said firmly, not moving a muscle.

"Alright. Someone else equally powerful." Godric ignored the argument. "Would that even work? I know Elemental magic isn't like normal magic."

"But anything is better than nothing." Rowena sighed. "It might help."

"I know who! Merlin! He was really powerful!" Helga said happily.

"Merlin is dead, Blondie," Salazar sneered.

She smiled, not hurt in the slightest. "We could talk to his ghost.”

"Summoning the peacefully dead is no easy task.” Rowena chewed on her hair. "It would be dangerous and take time and careful research and effort, but if we're going to do that, we might as well summon an Elemental, although I'm not sure that would work. They could be strange to get a hold of even dead. There would be no calling of sympathetic magic and that's a huge piece of Necromancy. Alright, so that's out. But we could summon someone we know was friends with an Elemental. I could do research."

"No surprise there," Salazar muttered.

"Is that our only option?" Harry demanded.

"At the moment.” Godric nodded. "We will continue to think on it, of course."

"I think you should tell Snape and Lupin," Helga added helpfully. "This is really serious. It's not something you have any right keeping from them. Lupin loves Neville very much. He'd want to be here with him with all his heart. And Snape loves you, Harry. He'd want to know about something that's going to affect you greatly. I think he cares for Neville as well."

"I told him I wouldn't tell," Harry fretted.

"Harry, sweetheart," Helga walked over and wrapped an arm around him supportively, "Neville is dying. Lupin needs to know. How would you feel if they kept that from you?"

"Horrible and angry," he admitted.

"Tell them." She patted his hand and smiled before backing away. "They'll help you and him."

Harry gave in, eyes burning as he realized just how dire the situation was. "Alright, I'll tell them."

"You're in no shape to go like that.” She smiled. “Here, let me make you a door that will go straight to Professor Snape's room."

"You can do that?" Harry asked surprised.

"Sure. I designed this castle and designed the spells that went into its making. Wizarding architecture is my specialty." She clapped her hands and the stones on the wall melted. "I'm still organizing and building this place. Every summer I make a few changes."

Salazar glared. "And she loves playing with the stairs."

“Won't that interfere with the wards?" Harry frowned.

"Mediocre wards, maybe.” Godric raised an eyebrow. "My wards grow and move. Simply changing the design of the school won't break them."

"Oh." Harry didn't quite know what to make of it.

"There you go. All finished." Helga led him to the door. "We'll still think about the problem and let you know if we come up with anything that will help."

"Thank you very much," he said and gave a half bow.

She smiled and waved. 

Harry looked the other phantoms over once more before turning and leaving them. He found himself walking right into Severus's living room and was impressed. He turned around and saw that the door was already melting. He could only watch it, feeling awed.

"Pray tell, why is my wall melting?" Severus drawled from behind him.

"It's not actually melting. It's going back the way it was before Helga made a door grow there." He shook himself and faced his teacher. "Severus, something horrible is happening with Neville and Hogwarts feels like they owe him, so they're all awake and going to help without the barter system because he's dying!"

The last part was almost a wail and Severus strode across the room and grabbed Harry's shoulder bracingly. "Tell me what happened."

Harry told him everything, breaking into fearful tears. Severus listened intently and his face grew grimmer and grimmer. By the end, he ordered Harry to calm down and breathe while he went to get him a calming potion. Harry did what he was told but just barely. He thought he'd claw out of his skin he was so anxious for Neville.

**Sy?**

**I'm here. I just don't know what to say,** Silas admitted.

**You're smart! Surely, you can think of something.**

**Not off the top of my head,** Silas snapped.

Harry hung his head. **Sorry.**

**No. I'm just as upset as you are. Neville is important to you and that makes him important to me. I may not be as close to him as you are, but I don't want to see him hurt. I'm sure with so many people determined to help, we will come up with something.**

Severus returned and handed him the vial. Harry drank it down meekly. "I am very glad you came to me. You did the right thing."

Harry nodded, exhausted.

"I am going to discuss this with Lupin. You can't do anything right now. Return to the Tower and get some sleep. Take Dreamless Sleep if you have to."

"Yes, sir."

"Talk to Neville, but don't push him. And don't tell him about the phantoms crusading for him. Not until we are certain on a course of action."

"Okay." Harry nodded and got to his feet.

"Let's meet again Saturday. Go to the Astronomy Tower and bring Neville. Maybe we can help him forget about it for a while."

"Animagus potion?" Harry guessed.

"Yes. I know he's curious about what your new form will be." Severus smiled sardonically.

"Aren't we all?" Harry laughed.

"Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Severus. Thank you."

Harry smiled once more and made his way out of the dungeons. It was late, but it wasn't past curfew. Ron, Hermione, and the twins were there, asking where he disappeared off to. He avoided the question, saying he just had to walk around and think about the clue. Hermione instantly started in on how he should go to the library and research. The boys teased her until she let up and they talked until bedtime. Harry was glad Ron was his friend again. He had missed him, but he wasn't Neville, and Harry couldn't stop thinking about his brother.

**xXxXxXx**

Saturday morning came and Silas made his way down to the Quidditch pitch. The day was very cold and the sleet on the ground made keeping his clothes clean impossible. Despite that, he walked with a calm and confident stride. The day was windy, but not too horribly and there weren't any clouds in the sky. The stands and the pitch were vacant unsurprisingly. It was early and Quidditch was cancelled for the Tournament in any case, but there was someone in the stands and Silas approached her with a courteous expression that he (believe it or not) had practiced the night before.

"Mrs. Silverwood," Silas said softly and bowed over her hand.

The woman was in her late twenties, a few years younger than Skeeter. Her hair was naturally a dark golden honey color and she had large, dark brown eyes that made her look rather vapid. Her clothes on the other hand were tailored and sharp, showing off her body subtly while still remaining sophisticated. That argued very highly in her favor.

"Mr. Potter, thank you so much for inviting me." She smiled and Silas was very pleased with his choice. Yes, this woman would drive Skeeter up the wall with competitive jealousy.

"No, thank _you_ for this chance to set the record straight." He took the seat next to her and tried to look as innocent and determined as he could. "I will give you, and in extension Witches Weekly, exclusive rights to all of my interviews during the Tournament. I will give you a detailed account of what is happening behind the scenes and with me. I will even give you the truth. If people want to make a story out of my life, I'd prefer it to be accurate and not drivel like that Skeeter woman wrote!"

"I completely sympathize, Mr. Potter," Silverwood practically cooed at him.

“Harry." He smiled as sweetly as he was capable. "You can call me Harry."

"Thank you, Harry." She beamed at him and flashed her perfect white teeth.

"I just hope that when… when I feel uncomfortable with a subject, you'll allow me to move on and wait until I feel more comfortable with the subject to return to it." Silas was starting to enjoy this performance. Silverwood was leaning in, nodding with all the fake sincerity in the world and eating right out of his hand. "Thank you. Skeeter didn't at all feel the same. She attacked me when I didn't… Didn't want to talk about my parents. Headmaster Dumbledore had to separate us!"

"That's horrible, Harry!" Silverwood gasped. "I would never do that to you!"

"I didn't think you would.” Silas smiled brightly. "You're much nicer than Skeeter."

"So… Why did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire? Or do you feel like you can't say?" she asked gently, patting his knee.

"I didn't put it in." Silas lowered his head in shame. "But I asked a seventh year to put it in for me. I won't say their name. I don't want to get them in trouble."

"I understand completely."

"I just… I didn't want to let anyone down. It has nothing to do with my parents, I don't even know them! But… In my second year, there was a basilisk running around the school in the pipes. No one knew that of course. They thought it was some attack against the school. Some students were hurt and I helped find and remove the basilisk. It was my best friend's sister who got hurt and so we had to do something. The teachers told us not to because it wasn't safe and we didn't listen. We almost died, but we saved my friend's little sister and lured the basilisk out to be dealt with. And because of that the school wasn't shut down!

"And then last year, with that Black guy after me and the Dementors and how I kept fainting around them. I hated being so weak and having everyone talk about me… You know, Black came in the school twice and almost had me. Almost killed that same friend from last year, but then he just stopped coming after he stole my friend's rat. I saw the rat turn into a man who was missing a finger and Black looked right at me and said he had the real traitor now and disappeared."

"No!" Silverwood gasped, practically foaming at the mouth with the story he was handing her.

"Yes." Silas nodded earnestly. "So everyone… kinda looks to me for these kind of stunts. Madmen and basilisks and all. I couldn't _not_ try to get in the Tournament. What would everyone think? But I really didn't think I'd get chosen. I thought I could just say I tried and you couldn't blame me for not being picked, but I was. I could hardly believe it! I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

"And Cedric was chosen, too. He's a seventh year Hufflepuff. He's popular and good looking; I definitely think he deserves to compete. I don't know why I was picked, too. I mean, aren't there only suppose to be three Champions? Viktor Krum is the best Seeker in the world! And Fleur Delacour is very smart and beautiful. I don't know how I'm ever going to measure up. It was pure chance I did so well in the first task. I could have been killed!"

He went on to describe the first task, playing up the dangerous aspect. Silverwood wrote everything down. She stared at him with large, hungry eyes and didn't even blink as he made her into a weapon against both Skeeter and Dumbledore. As she packed up her things, he promised to talk to her again the Saturday before the second task and the Saturday after. He smiled smugly as he made his way back up to the school. Things were finally working out.

**xXxXxXx**

After the interview, Harry walked quickly up to the Astronomy Tower. His teachers were already there and so was Neville. His brother looked pale and distant, but he managed to smile when Harry came onto the roof. Remus looked tense and miserable, but his promise to Severus that he wouldn't confront Neville was holding.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked evenly.

"Yeah." Harry nodded and smiled. "Will you be alright with the werewolf?"

"We are prepared." Severus nodded and handed him a container with his potion stored in it.

"Why did you keep this at all?" Harry questioned curiously. "How did you know I'd need it again?"

"I didn't know," he said with a sardonic smile. "I just cannot bear to waste any potion."

Neville and Remus laughed and Harry grinned. He should have known. Shaking his head, he opened the container and swallowed the potion down. The muddy, bitter fluid wasn't any better than the last time and he made a horrible face that had Neville chuckling again. Harry smiled back and suddenly the world began to melt and shift in a new alignment.

The three watched with rapt attention as Harry's new form was revealed. Within a minute, a young stallion was standing before them. It had dark eyes and a rowan coat with white legs and a diamond on his wide forehead. He had a long brown mane and he tossed his head with a whicker. He pranced around the room, his hooves chiming on the stone floor. His body was lean and well muscled, obviously built for speed. He was beautiful.

"You're gorgeous, Harry," Remus smiled and held out his hand. The young stallion came over and nuzzled it gently and turned his head to lip at Neville's hair. The Gryffindor laughed and touched the velvety cheek in wonder. Severus watched all this silently. Soon the stallion was melting again and a coiled viper took its place. It was still a magnificent and beautiful creature.

"Come." Severus began to herd the others out of the room. "Next are the wounded dove and the werewolf. We do not need to be present for either."

Remus and Neville left reluctantly. They didn't want to abandon Harry if he needed them, but they knew they wouldn't be able to help the dove and would only upset it with their presence.

"A horse is a lot like a deer," Remus mused as they waited. "I wonder what the difference is."

"Probably a lot," Neville said thoughtfully. "A horse is definitely more confident than a deer and less skittish."

"True." Severus looked over the teen and didn't like the air of illness that hung around him. "And what does an oak represent? You have not turned in an essay when Harry did, even though I know Harry believes you did."

"I…" Neville flushed and his eyes grew shiny with panic. "I just haven't had the time to understand how a plant could represent someone's animal."

"The Animagus Form doesn't mean animal," Severus said in a surprisingly smooth tone. "Anima in Latin means soul. Magus is magic. It is the representation of your soul and magic in the most simple way. Animals are more connected to the life cycle. Humans clutter up that understanding with morals and personality. That is why most wizards and witches turn into animals. Your case is unique, but not impossible. I suggest you put more effort into understanding what your Animagus form is revealing to you."

"Yes, sir." Neville ducked his head. Remus was practically straining to say something, but Severus cut a dark glance his way and he subsided mutinously.

"Harry will have to do research again. When he turns in his report on the symbology of the horse, perhaps you will turn in one on the oak."

"Yes, sir," Neville said again and this time there was resignation in his voice.

"It won't be that bad, Neville," Remus encouraged. "I can help you if you want. I think the oak is a very good tree and I bet it is rich in meaning."

Neville smiled up at him and gave a nod. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure, Neville. I haven't gotten to spend as much time with you as I'd like with school and the Tournament taking so much time. This will be nice," Remus said honestly, his eyes bright with care and concern.

"Yeah. Yeah, it will," Neville agreed and they settled in to wait feeling much lighter.

**Chapter end.**


	38. The Enemy Numbers Grow

**The Enemy Numbers Grow**

The rest of the weekend passed with Harry spending time with Ron, Hermione, and the twins. He even roped Dean, Seamus, and Ginny into playing a few games of Exploding Snap. He would have been with Neville, but his brother seemed rather content spending some alone time with Remus. Harry had found them in the library together, hunched over books and muttering softly. It had been really nice to see.

_Witch's Weekly_ came out on Monday and his article took four pages. It didn't spark as emotional a storm as Skeeter's tripe had, but he was once again being stared at and whispered about. Many eyes turned to him in the halls and he felt like everyone in his House had come up to him to ask if he really felt that way; that he had to prove something to them. It was annoying as hell.

He hadn't started studying the stallion yet. He was pleased about the animal representing his soul and felt it was going to mean something good, but he had so much work to catch up on that he had been putting off. Fortunately, since the merge, his knowledge base had expanded greatly. Defense was a breeze and so was Charms now. Transfiguration was not difficult, exactly, but it was even less interesting than before. He just didn't see a point to being able to change one thing to another.

He still liked Herbology. It was peaceful and he enjoyed that time with Neville. His brother liked plants more than him, but it was nice tending to them and seeing them thrive under their careful care. Divination was crap, but he was interested in learning about visions passed through links or bonds because he was worried about Silas. The Slytherin hadn't had a vision since summer, but he still remembered how it had affected his cohort and he didn't like it.

Potions was alright. Once the dislike of the class was gone, he actually began to apply himself and it made things a lot easier. He wanted to please Severus, plus it was like cooking, which was as relaxing as working with the plants in Herbology. He'd never be a Master, though. History of Magic was tolerable now that Remus was teaching it, but it wasn't his favorite. And last but not least, his Care of Magical Creatures class. He'd like it if there were more hippogriffs, but the Blast-Ended Skrewts weren't very impressive and the class was always walking away with burns, cuts, and bites.

The phantoms hadn't come up with a better plan to help Neville and were still developing a Necromancy ritual to summon someone who could. Severus and Remus didn't know what to do, but they promised Harry they were working on it. However, they _did_ have a break through on the damn portkey crown and were testing the theory on different items to make sure it worked. They'd move to trying it out on a spirit form before actually casting it on Harry, but they thought they'd be ready to try by Sunday. Harry was all for it.

**xXxXxXx**

Friday rolled around and Harry was making his way from dinner with Neville, Ron, and Hermione. They were planning on playing some chess or reading or something, but Silas interrupted with a quiet request that he could go study in the library by himself. Harry said nothing for the moment and carefully pulled away from his friends.

**This doesn't have anything to do with Serpentine, does it?** Harry asked as he made his way down the corridor away from the Tower.

**No and even if it did, Harry, it has nothing to do with you,** Silas said icily.

**Alright. I get the point. I don't know why I can't know more about it. It's not like I'm against it or anything. I said you should as long as you were careful.**

**You were a little more reserved than that,** Silas drawled.

**Well, I've changed.**

**I just don't want to talk about it. It has nothing to do with that. I just want to study.** With that, Silas gently replaced Harry as the Host allowed himself to slip down into sleep. 

Silas grimaced, not at all pleased with Harry becoming curious about Serpentine. Carefully making sure there was no one around to see him, he turned and made his way for Myrtle's bathroom. He didn't feel at all guilty lying to Harry about where he was going.

Draco was there, twirling his wand around his fingers as he waited. He stopped when he saw Silas and straightened. They didn't speak as they made their way into the final chamber with the basilisk corpse. Draco unshrunk the trunk they were using to store the parts while Silas crouched over the large tome he had borrowed without asking from Severus (the man still hadn't noticed it was missing).

"Why did you cancel last week? And why did you want to meet today instead of Wednesday?" Draco asked casually. 

They had agreed to meet every Wednesday night. This was the seventh time they had met, and while usually they worked in silence or spoke of simple things – like Pansy being annoying or Weasley being a git or classes or what they were going to do with the parts they were dissecting – Draco couldn't keep the silence any longer. He wanted answers.

Draco had been surprisingly disappointed when Shadow had canceled on him and that made him realize several things. First, Shadow was the closest thing to a true friend he had. Second, he wanted to be just as important to Shadow as the green-eyed Slytherin was becoming to him.

All his life he had been a Malfoy first, Lucius's son second, and a Slytherin third. This held true even in his House with his dorm mates and the teachers. Nothing had changed at Hogwarts. Everything had only gotten worse. He had never had the chance to just be Draco, appreciated or not by his own merits. That is until Shadow. That meant a lot to him and he wanted to return that with honest friendship, but Shadow would have to trust him with the truth for that to happen.

Silas looked over and saw Draco's face was very carefully blank, but he wasn't lowering his eyes. He wanted an answer. "I was busy."

"You did well in the first task. Tied for first place. You must be pleased." Draco had his suspicions about the person before him, but Shadow wasn't giving an inch and, _damn it_ , Draco didn't want to force it out of him. He wanted to be trusted and for the first time _deserve_ to be trusted.

"What are you getting at, Draco?" Silas stood and crossed his arms.

"In your interview with Silverwood, you told her that you had someone put your name in the goblet, but you told me that you didn't and had me listen around to find out who did and why they would do so. I was just wondering which was truth."

Silas felt anger wash through him. Who the hell was Draco to question him? But then he really looked at Draco and noticed a faint shadow of hurt in his eyes. His anger drained away and he shook his head. "Look, Draco. I didn't lie to you. I had to tell her I put my name in the goblet because the foreign ministers wouldn't do anything about me being a fourth Champion if that meant having to acknowledge that the Death Eaters are reorganizing or that Voldemort had returned."

“Oh." 

Draco allowed his shoulders to relax. He was glad Shadow hadn't lied to him, but he wouldn't have turned on him for it. They hadn’t been friends yet, after all, so any previous lies were okay, but knowing that Shadow hadn't and that he did trust Draco enough to tell him his plan, made him feel happy and confident. Now all he had to get Shadow to tell him was the truth about who he really was.

Silas returned to his position over the book. “Yeah."

"So you're hoping to still get out of this Tournament?" Draco drawled, carefully stalking up to the subject he wanted to bring up.

"That would be nice, but I don't think it will happen. Mostly I want that bumbling bastard off my back. He's milking me being Champion for all its worth."

"What can you expect?" Draco sneered in disgust and continued to unpack jars. He hated Dumbledore, but that hate had been a distant thing until last week when he had figured out who Shadow really was. Then that hate had become very real and personal. Oh, yes. He would wait and, when the time was right, he would help Shadow get his revenge for what that old man had done to him.

Silas laughed at the blond's expression, still clueless about where Draco's thoughts had led him. They worked in silence for the rest of the two hours, but Draco had more to say when they began cleaning up. 

"Why did you help the other Champions?" he asked casually, hoping that would prevent Shadow from getting defensive. It didn't work.

"What?" Silas turned to look at him, his eyes hard.

"I know you don't care about winning, but why would you help the other Champions?" 

Draco didn't look up from what he was doing. His blond hair curtained his face, unconsciously mimicking Professor Snape. He hoped Shadow would tell him on his own. He hoped this was all the lead his friend needed, but Shadow wasn't feeling trusting. Considering what had been done to him, Draco wasn't surprised.

"What makes you think I did?" Silas's body went loose, but he was far from relaxed. He was preparing to spring and tensed muscles would only make him clumsy. He flexed his fingers slowly, like a cat rolling their shoulders before they pounced, limbering them so that he could draw his wand quickly.

"Cedric's illusion wasn't very good, but suddenly became perfect a couple minutes into the match. He was also shoved out of the line of fire once. Fleur also received help. Only Krum didn't receive aid. I just assumed it was you since the crowd couldn't do magic with the wards that were up. It would have to be someone on the ground near the arena."

"Who else noticed?" Silas demanded.

"No one.” Draco looked up with a smirk. He was secretly worried, but he couldn't bear to show any weaknesses; not even to the person he was trying to prove his friendship to. "I was just paying attention to other things, so it caught my eye."

"It was me," Silas admitted.

"Why?" Draco frowned.

"Someone is trying to kill me. If anyone else dies accidentally, they would be able to say my death was an accident as well, but if I'm the only one to die, then they can't hide it so easily," Silas sneered.

Draco nodded and stood. This synched it for him. What he had guessed was true and that made his blood race. If anyone ever found out… But they wouldn't. Draco was firm about that. He was going to stand on Shadow's side. He already knew how capable the green-eyed Slytherin was and that he would open Draco's world up beyond the dark road his father was trying to shove him down. This was his chance and he was going to take it. The fact that it would be nice to be able to trust someone and be depended on in return had little to do with it, Draco reassured himself.

He stood and spread his hands in a show that he held no weapons. His eyes met Shadow's and they didn't waver when the green that bored into him were filled with a deadly warning. "Look, Shadow, I promised I wasn't your enemy and I'm not. I'll give you a wizard's oath to prove it. I haven't told anyone about meeting you here and I'm looking out for your interests. I've never been very faithful, but this is the first thing I've honestly chosen of my own free will for myself and I'm not about to turn my back on that."

"What's your point?" Silas hissed, hands tingling with magic. He had no idea where this was coming from and that uncertainty really put him on edge.

"Just that you can trust me." Draco opened his eyes fully, inviting Silas to see him and the truth in his words. "You and Harry are too different. I can believe Harry was acting a bit, but his act has fallen since the first task. He's more confident and competent now than he was before, even though he's still not you… Shadow, you're not Harry Potter."

Silas lashed out and Draco was knocked back and pinned to the floor before the blond could even move to draw his wand. "Don't be stupid. That's ridiculous!"

"Shadow," Draco said softly, "I don't care who you really are, and I know why you hate the Headmaster so much. I understand and I want to help you."

"What do you know, Draco?" Silas purred dangerously. He slowly stalked up to the helpless blond, his hips swaying and his stride ever so smooth.

"I don't know anything for sure, but I think I know who you are," Draco said evenly, still calm. He had no idea why he believed in this so much, but he did. Over the summer through letters and after a month of meeting Shadow here, he had come to know the other teen better than he knew anyone else. And he _needed_ them to be equal. It had enraged him to be brushed off by a letter and forced to wait meekly for the next meeting with no say in the matter. It was completely unSlytherin, but he wanted this to be more than a business transaction.

So he continued to look into Shadow's face and he spoke what he knew. "The only way you could have helped out the other Champions was if you were on the ground and not needed inside the Champion's tent, which Harry most definitely was… You're not Harry Potter. You're his identical twin brother."

Silas froze. He was shocked, but he was unwilling to show it. Thankfully, Draco filled in the silence.

"I don't know why the Potters kept it secret," Draco continued, "but they had two boys that night. They went into hiding as soon as you were born; no one ever saw their baby or babies. Then the Dark Lord came. He probably only expected one child and found two identical boys. He was most likely riding his triumph of killing your parents and became overconfident. He tried to kill you both with a single Killing Curse. Together, you and your brother repelled it with your innate magical strength. Dumbledore allowed the world to continue thinking there was only one baby, maybe to protect you; I can't fathom the motives behind what he does, but the Death Eaters did go mad with the loss of the Dark Lord and they would have given anything to kill you and your brother.

"It was _you_ I met at Diagon Alley. Your brother was somewhere else, probably with Hagrid, but you wanted to explore on your own and I met you at Madam Malkins. Dumbledore, for reasons I don't know, decided to still keep the world ignorant that there were two of you. He had you each Sorted privately and you were deemed Slytherin and Harry was Gryffindor. So Dumbledore decided to keep you out of sight while Harry gets to go to classes. You can only get out at night and that's how you meet me."

Draco was staring at him, triumph and earnestness shining on his face. He really looked pleased with himself for thinking he had figured everything out, empowered by being involved in such a secret plot. For the first time since Silas had started this, he realized that Draco was a child in many ways. He was intelligent and Slytherin, but he had been relatively sheltered from the harsher side of life. He may be older than Silas by almost half a year, but he had not had to face the things that Silas had and that made him innocent in a way.

Draco climbed to his feet and brushed off his robes. He avoided looking at his friend's face. It was just too… raw. Draco couldn't even interpret it, but he didn't want to invade. "Look, Shadow. I won't tell anyone and I'll even help out your brother. I'd like us to be more than allies. You can trust me."

"You mean… like friends?" Silas could hardly believe what was happening, but he felt oddly touched that Draco was suddenly throwing his lot in with him so completely. Even if he had created the most fantastical story Silas had ever heard.

“Maybe." Draco smiled slyly. "I think we can benefit each other, don't you?"

"Maybe," Silas returned in a whisper. He was still deciding how to handle this. On one hand, it didn't hurt for Draco to believe that wild story he had created. If he told Draco he was wrong, the blond would have to come up with another explanation for Harry's strange behavior. On the other, he wasn't sure he wanted to be friends with anyone. That kind of closeness just didn't appeal to him. He liked things as they were….

Didn't he? He was strangely reluctant to Obliviate Draco, which had been his plan should the blond ever get too close to knowing things he shouldn't. So what did that mean? Where did that leave him? Besides being furious that he didn't know himself or his own motives. This was intolerable!

"It'll be alright, Shadow or whatever your real name is," Draco said softly, sensing the conflict in his friend. His expression turned into a familiar mask of Slytherin cunning. "I have good news for you. About a certain reporter."

Silas felt relief at the return of the Draco he had grown so comfortable with. "Oh, really? Do tell," he drawled lazily.

"It seems that she went into a flying rage when she saw the article in _Witch's Weekly_ ," Draco said with relish, his gray eyes almost glowing with delight. "Her boss said he had enough of her and if she didn't get a good story soon she'd be sacked. But since you said she attacked you, no one will talk to her. She _really_ went into a rage then and I just happened to procure some pictures of it."

Silas laughed and approached the blond while Draco smirked and preened. 

They stood next to each other for a good half hour, just looking at the pictures, laughing and relishing the horrid woman's pain. In the end, Silas decided to leave things as they were. He honestly didn't think Draco would betray him, and even if Draco spread that ridiculous story, no one would believe him. Besides, the blond still had his uses… And maybe having a friend wouldn't be too horrible.

As they parted, Draco turned to look over at the slightly shorter teen. "Hey, I'll help look after Harry, too. He's not half as bad as Weasley or Granger, at least. I suppose for a Gryffindor he's tolerable."

Silas felt absurdly touched again and murmured an unsteady 'thank you'. 

Draco inclined his head and smiled at him before heading back to the dungeons. 

"Draco!" he called. The blond turned to look back at him. “My name’s Silas, but Shadow works, too."

"See you Wednesday, Silas.” Draco grinned and turned the corner.

That night when Silas returned the Tower and sank back In to get some sleep, he dreamed of Lockhart. He woke, panting and covered in sweat, burning with remembered pleasure and shame. Shivering, he huddled in his bed and tried to pull himself together. He hadn't had a nightmare like that in ages. He wondered if it meant Draco would betray him. He bared his teeth. If he did, friend or not, Silas _would_ kill him.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry walked into Severus's quarters Sunday morning feeling distinctly nervous and excited. Today was the day they were going to remove the mental portkey spell Dumbledore had placed on him. Silas was the one who made the crucial breakthrough. He’d realized that the spell they had created wasn’t working because the spirit portkey could only be moved to another spirit.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked calmly.

They were going to do this in his bedroom. All the furniture had been taken out and the stone floor was bare. A runic circle was chalked into the floor large enough for Harry to lie inside it. Candles were sitting at strategic points around the perimeter, the wicks standing tall and ready to be lit. Remus was standing at the far side of the room, staring intently down at a book filled with their notes.

Harry nodded and took a deep breath. All his nervousness seemed to disappear as he looked into his mentor's eyes. He trusted Severus with his life. Nothing would go wrong. "What do you need me to do?"

"Take off your robe and shirt. We have to draw runes on your chest, shoulders, neck, and face," Severus explained.

Harry did as he was told. Remus came over and smiled reassuringly as he dipped a calligraphy brush in black ink and began to painstakingly draw runes on Harry's skin. Harry sat absolutely still and relaxed and Occluded his mind to keep himself calm and undistracted by his two teachers’ emotions. Severus was doing something at the edge of the room. He could sense his presence, but Harry was too serene to actually focus. The smell of sweet incense hit his nose and he smiled.

"Lay down in the circle. Spread your arms to either side at shoulder height, palms up," Severus said softly.

Harry moved as if in a dream and did as instructed. Remus and Severus began chanting in Latin. He had no idea what they were saying because fog rolled into his head. He drifted in silence, in peace. Without warning, terrible white lightning cracked overhead and he went rigid with a scream of pain. He tried to flail and roll out from under the attack, but he was pinned. He couldn't move! He panicked and tried to defend himself, but his magic kept slipping through his fingers. He screamed again, this time with fear. " _Sev'rus!_ "

"I'm here, Harry."

His mentor's voice floated to him from across the gray misty plane and he relaxed trustingly even as the pain began to spike again and again, digging into his flesh. He screamed again, but he didn't try to get away. He tensed his muscles and refused to move. He wouldn't fight. He would endure this and be free of that bastard's control! He remembered now what was happening. He knew it had to do with Dumbledore and he hated Dumbledore! Severus was here. Severus was watching. He would be fine. The pain would stop soon.

"It hurts so much," he sobbed weakly. He didn't want to let them down, but he didn't know how much more he could take.

"I know… I'm sorry… Just a little more…"

That was Remus, his agonized mind recognized. Harry grit his teeth and held on. Hours passed, days, years. Harry writhed and refused to let go. Then with a gasp the gray mist shattered, the lightning died and he fell headlong into oblivion, tears of relief and gratitude wetting his face.

Silas opened dazed eyes. He was lying in the circle. The candles were completely burnt down and Severus and Remus were sitting up and looking completely drained. He opened his mouth to ask if it had been successful and could only croak. He tried to sit, but his body was too heavy and numb.

"Don't move yet. Just rest," Remus said tiredly.

"It's over. The portkey spell has been transferred over to Demon's Animagus form; the incantations to activate and deactivate it have been changed."

Stopping Demon completely was impossible, but Silas had thought of a different way to control the hellish alter. If there came a time where Demon was going to come Out no matter what they did, then it would be better to have a werewolf than an enormously powerful, enraged Dark sorcerer. He would only have to say the incantation and Demon would be transformed into his Animagus form and the damage he could cause would be severely limited.

"Time?" he asked huskily.

"Midnight," Remus sighed, utterly exhausted. "That took sixteen hours of spell casting."

"Water," Silas demanded. He was done with lying helpless.

"Harry?" Severus asked.

"Unconscious," Silas answered and turned his head to glare at the dark-haired man.

Severus sighed and began to get to his feet. An amused chuckle from the corner of the room had all three turning their head's sharply. Salazar Castle stood there with a mocking expression on his monkey-like face. Silas growled in warning, but the phantom ignored him. Severus straightened and managed to hide his exhaustion and weakness behind a blank mask. Silas was impressed.

"What do you want?"

"I was intrigued by your project and I must say I am very impressed with your work. Nothing like this has ever been done. It's fascinating, really." Salazar expression morphed into one of intense scrutiny. He seemed like a mad scientist as he began asking Silas how he felt and if he were in any physical or mental pain.

Silas of course didn't answer him and felt a mental probe enter his rather weak shielding. Silas wasn't as phobic as Gabriel had been about being helpless, but he certainly didn't enjoy it and with a vindictive twist he used his Occlumency to pull Salazar's probe into the emotional centers of his memory and drenched him with acute emotional trauma. Salazar recoiled with a gasp.

"Stay. Out. Of. My. Head," Silas hissed.

"I'm going to have to insist that you leave," Severus drawled. "We can discuss the success of our ritual spell working at another time."

"Fine," Salazar crossed his arms petulantly. "I summoned your house-elf to assist you by manipulating your bond with him."

With that he disappeared and Omi popped into place next to where he had been standing. "Harry sir! Master! What is it you be needing?" Omi cried as he wrung his hands in concern at seeing the people he loved and belonged to so very fragile and hurt.

"Water. Food," Silas answered.

Omi disappeared with a crack and Severus sighed as he returned to a sitting position. "I don't know whether to be grateful or not at Hogwarts’ awakening."

"They seem to be just as much hindrance as help," Remus agreed with a smile, his eyes closed and his head resting against the wall.

Silas said nothing, instead waiting impatiently for Omi to return with what he had asked for.

**xXxXxXx**

Three hours later, the three were sitting at the kitchen table a bit more alert and energetic. They had just finished eating a huge meal and drinking almost a gallon of water between them. Omi watched their sated expressions with one of delight and pride. He loved his family and taking care of them was a sincere joy.

"How is Mister Neville?" the little elf asked. The other teen had been included in his understanding of family and he missed the boy.

"Not good," Silas drawled. "He has Elemental magic and doesn't know how to deal with it. It's killing him. The Hogwarts’ phantoms are trying to create some kind of ritual that will summon the ghost of someone who had once been an Elemental wizard to help him, but they aren't sure how successful they will be."

"Dying?" Omi squeaked, horrified. "What is it he be needing?"

"It's not anything you can fetch or give, elf," Severus stated.

"He needs a teacher. Someone who can help him come to grips with his Elemental powers," Remus answered sadly.

"How much time does young sir have?" Omi demanded.

The tone of the little elf had all three looking at him closely. It was Silas who spoke, "You can help him?"

"Not I, no," Omi shook his head hard. "But I can find young sir the help he needs if you tell me what to be looking for."

"A teacher, someone with Elemental magic," Remus said hopefully.

"I's not knowing what that is," Omi admitted regretfully.

"He'll practice it on Thursday. Come to me at three o'clock," Silas suggested.

"Yes, Harry sir!" Omi bounced excitedly. "If I be seeing it, I can definitely be finding it again! I'll be there, sir!"

"Do not let the Headmaster find out," Severus ordered. "This must be secret from other wizards."

"Yes, Master.” Omi nodded solemnly. "I be keeping all your secrets safe."

“Good." Severus waved him away. "Return to the house."

"Yes, Master.” Omi bowed deeply and disappeared with a pop.

Silas looked over at his teacher with a raised eyebrow. "Do you think he can help?"

"He certainly cannot hurt," Severus answered and his lips curled into a faint smile. "Never leave a source untapped."

"Another lesson?" Silas smirked, amused.

"Everything is a lesson," Severus answered solemnly.

Remus burst into laughter and the two Slytherins glared disdainfully at him. That only set the Gryffindor off more and both rolled their eyes at his hilarity. 

Silas stood and left Severus to deal with the moronic teacher and returned to the Tower for a few hours of sleep. Harry still hadn't stirred and he hoped he would be up by the time classes started. He didn't feel comfortable coming Out during the day with Draco hanging about. He didn't want the Slytherin boy to become suspicious of the truth.

**xXxXx**

"What are you doing?" Neville asked sleepily.

Ron looked over. He was sitting on his bed with the curtains open wide. Dean and Seamus were asleep already, but Ron couldn't relax. Where had Harry gone? And why was it taking him so long? He had noticed that Harry often disappeared on Wednesday nights and didn't come back until one in the morning, but after the First Task, Harry had disappeared to go see Dumbledore for a reason Harry hadn't told them yet. Then Friday he had disappeared all night, and now it was Sunday and he had disappeared again.

"Where does Harry go this late at night?" Ron asked in frustration. "He's staying out more and more often lately."

"If he wanted us to know, he'd tell us.” Neville sat up, no longer sleepy. He was still angry at Ron for the way he had acted. Harry had been very brave to tell him a bit about the Dursleys. How could Ron turn on Harry over a stupid competition? He wouldn't even listen when Harry tried to tell him it wasn't his fault. Now Ron wanted to know everything like he had a right to it.

Ron must have read some of this off of Neville's round face because he flushed. "Neville, I'm just worried about him."

Neville glared. "You weren't worried about him when his name came out of the goblet!"

"I said I was sorry about that," Ron snapped defensively.

"Yeah, okay," Neville rolled his eyes and laid down, turning his back to the redhead.

"Look, Neville, I really am sorry for how I acted.” Ron leaned forward. His heart was pounding in his chest with both shame and desperation to make Neville understand why he had acted the way that he had. "I was always worried about Harry. I thought he put his name in the goblet to prove something, especially after what he told us about how he grew up. It made me so mad to think he was doing something so dangerous when he shouldn't feel he had to! And then I was so mad he wouldn't even tell me the truth and I felt so helpless. I wanted to help him, but he wouldn't let me. I didn't know what to do."

"But he didn't do it," Neville sighed.

"I know that now.” Ron bowed his head in defeat. "Really, I do know that, but I didn't then. I'm sorry. I was stupid."

"Yes, you were." Neville sat up again to face the redhead in the other bed. "Harry's fine, Ron. He just needs time to himself sometimes. When he gets stressed out, he just needs to think and relax. Don't worry about it. He'll tell us when he needs help."

"He might tell you," Ron groused. "I still have to prove that I'm his friend again."

"Well…" Neville shrugged.

"I know. I deserve it and I'm not giving up."

"Yeah, me neither," Neville smiled. "But Harry can take care of himself most of the time."

Ron grinned lopsidedly. "But I still worry."

Neville laughed and they both laid back in their beds. 

Ron looked over at Harry's empty bed and felt buoyant for the first time in months. It had been hard fighting with Harry. He knew it was all his fault and that made the distance worse, but now he felt hopeful for the first time that things might go back to normal.

Silas chose that moment to come sneaking into the room. He crept to his bed, feeling achy and exhausted. His movements were stiff. Ron sat up with a frown and asked if he was alright. Neville remained laying back, but his brown eyes were filled with concern.

"I'm fine," Silas snapped tiredly. "Go to sleep."

"You look hurt," Ron argued. He moved to get out of bed.

"I just need sleep," Silas glared coldly. "If you don't mind, I'd like to get some."

Ron went red and looked very stubborn.

"If he doesn't feel well tomorrow, I'm sure he'll go see Pomfrey," Neville chimed in.

"Sure thing," Silas drawled sarcastically. He got into bed and pulled the curtain shut firmly.

Ron opened his mouth to say something, to protest most likely, but Neville shot him a meaningful look and shook his head. Ron hesitated. He knew Neville was closer to Harry at this point and he probably knew a lot more than him. Ron really didn't think Neville would let Harry hurt himself. He sighed and laid down. If Harry still acted hurt tomorrow, he would make sure his friend went to see the nurse, even if he couldn't get Harry to tell him what happened.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry woke Monday morning feeling like he would pay a thousand galleons to stay in bed. Groaning, he stared up at Ron. The redhead had pulled open his bed curtains and bright morning light was streaming into his face. He sat up and shuffled grumpily over to his trunk to get out his school robes. He was too distracted to notice how his friend watched his every move.

**Sy? Are you alright?**

**Fine,** the Slytherin drawled, but Harry could almost feel the waves of fatigue coming off of the Core alter.

**Maybe you should get some rest.**

**I plan to as soon as you leave me alone,** Silas growled.

**Did it work?** Harry asked tentatively.

**Yeah, it worked.** Silas said and Harry could hear a smile in his voice. **And better yet, they were able to change the portkey spell over to Demon. If he comes Out when we don't want him to, we can force him into his werewolf form. And we can send him back In whenever we want with the deactivation phrase. Of course, we'll need someone on the Outside to say them. So we should consider telling Neville what the phases are. Severus and Remus already know them.**

**I want to tell Sirius as well,** Harry said firmly.

**I can't stop you,** Silas said stiffly. He obviously wasn't thrilled with the idea, but at least he wasn't putting up too much of a fight.

**What about Ron and Hermione?** Harry felt torn about telling his friends. Hermione hadn't taken the news about Dumbledore's failings very well, and even though he had forgiven Ron for his reaction about the goblet, he was now weary about telling them more in case they should react badly again.

**If you tell them, I'm telling Serpentine,** Silas threatened.

Harry frowned deeply and began buttoning up his robes. **Sy, if you want to tell him, go ahead. I trust you. You can even tell him and, if you really think it's a bad idea, I won't tell Ron and Hermione. I was just asking your opinion on how they are likely to react. I know I'll have to explain my condition for them to understand the significance of the portkey and I'm wondering if I should just save all that for the summer.**

**I don't think you should tell them at all,** Silas snapped. 

He was confused about why he had brought up Serpentine at all. He must be very tired for him to be making such ridiculous mistakes. He was even more bothered by Harry's acceptance of the mysterious Slytherin. Gabriel would have been yelling and demanding to know who Serpentine was by now. Silas had underestimated Harry's trust in him, and that trust had carried over when Gabriel had merged. Feeling off balance and not quite up to his normal speed, Silas made a strategic retreat. 

**I'm going to sleep. Don't tell them yet please. Wait for summer.**

**Alright.** Harry smiled fondly. **Get some sleep, Sy.**

**Moron,** Silas grumbled and his presence shrank in Harry's mind.

"You alright, mate?" Ron asked worriedly. "I said we have to go if we want to make it to breakfast."

“Oh." Harry smiled easily. "Sorry about that. I… I had a strange dream and was just thinking about it. Come on. Let's go. I'm starved!"

Ron laughed and followed his friend from the dorm. Harry was fine just like Neville had said.

**xXxXxXx**

Ron and Hermione were walking a bit ahead of Harry and Neville. Breakfast was over and they were heading to their first class. Neville tugged at Harry's sleeve and the boys slowed their pace still further. Harry was grinning and talking in a rushed whisper, telling Neville all about last night and how the portkey was retied to Demon. Neville was soon smiling happily back and the two boys went on with an extra bounce in their step.

"What's gotten into you two?" Hermione smiled, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah, what's up?" Ron slowed to walk beside them.

"Nothing," Harry smiled innocently. "I'll tell you later."

Luckily, they were joined by the Slytherins coming out to Hagrid's for Care of Magical Creatures and the topic was dropped. With the skrewts as the main focus of the class, no one was particularly eager to begin, but now that it was December and the weather had turned decidedly cold and blustery, it was even more unpleasant. Even the Gryffindors were scowling behind their scarves by the time they got to Hagrid's hut.

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid boomed over the wind. "Thought we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip… We'll jus' settle 'em down in these boxes."

There were only ten skrewts left. The others having been killed fighting, but their size made up for their lack of numbers. They were about six feet long and their stingers and biting mouths had grown as well. A group of Slytherins ran off to Hagrid's hut to avoid the lesson, and that said a lot about their dislike of the creatures. The Slytherins did refer to Hagrid's home as a filthy hovel, after all. By the end of class, everyone who hadn't run away had nasty burns, bites, and stings - Seamus and Lavender had to be sent to the Hospital Wing - and it was decided that skrewts did not hibernate and they definitely did not like being shut up in boxes.

"Well, well, well… This _does_ look like fun.” Rita Skeeter smiled sharply. She was leaning against the end of Hagrid's fence and had ambushed them as they were walking back to Hogwarts.

The group of students all jumped at the sound of her voice. No one had noticed her standing there until she had spoken. In Harry's defense, he was running on little energy, had just battled skrewts for two hours, and was half frozen through. He made up for his lack of attention by whipping out his wand and aiming it right at her head.

"Now, now, Harry. Is that anyway to greet a lady?" Rita cooed sweetly.

Harry had no idea how he had missed the infuriating woman. She was wearing a thick magenta cloak with a furry purple collar and carrying her huge crocodile-skin handbag. He was about to growl something at her, when someone beat him to it.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Skeeter. Is someone else with you?" Draco Malfoy drawled lazily, leaning sideways as if to see behind the woman.

The Slytherins snickered at their leader's wit, but the Gryffindors were too busy staring in shock to make a sound. Rita's face turned a horrible red and her carefully curled blonde hair that had yet to move once in the strong wind began to unravel just a bit. Harry grinned victoriously at the horrible woman. She opened her red-lipped mouth to say something scathing, no doubt, but was interrupted as Hagrid came hurrying over, making the ground quiver under his weight.

"Here, now. What's happenin' over 'ere?" he boomed. "An' who're you?"

Rita's face lost it's ugly look and turned sweet once more, her golden front teeth flashing delicately in the sun. She stepped away from the fence and offered her hand to the friendly half-giant. "Rita Skeeter, _Daily Prophet_ reporter."

Hagrid frowned. "Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore.”

Rita ignored that. "What are these fascinating creatures called?"

Of course Hagrid was soon caught up talking about his latest beloved creature. Harry growled and went to interrupt the bitch's manipulation of his friend, but Neville grabbed his arm.

"Don't bother, Harry," his brother whispered. "Hagrid can take care of himself."

"Yeah, come on, mate," Ron said tossed his head at the school and rubbing at his arms for warmth.

"Oh, I hope Hagrid didn't get those skrewts illegally," Hermione fretted.

"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble before and Dumbledore's never sacked him. He'll be fine," Ron said confidently through chattering teeth. "Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry… Did I say worst? I meant best."

Neville and Hermione laughed at that, but Harry had a bad feeling about Hagrid going to that interview, so he sent his friends on ahead and waited for Hagrid to get done talking to Skeeter. It didn't take long. Once she got what she came for, she was rather eager to leave. Harry glared fiercely at her back and trotted up to Hagrid's side.

"Be careful, Hagrid. She's a nasty one. Watch what you say 'cause she can twist your words out of context," he said earnestly, looking up at his friend.

"I won' be sayin' anything bad, 'arry. Now you get on up ta school. You got classes and lunch to go to."

Harry sighed and waved. "Bye, Hagrid."

The half-giant waved happily back, his attention already wandering back to his skrewts. Harry had only gone five steps when he heard Hagrid begin to coo and talk to them. Still worried but feeling a bit better, Harry hurried up to the school. His friends chatted happily over lunch and soon Harry forgot about Hagrid and Skeeter.

The boys separated from Hermione to go to Divination and they had a fun two hours, snickering about the loony teacher's predictions. It was times like these that Harry would watch Neville and could almost think his brother was fine, but then his face would lose a moment of animation and his dark brown eyes would turn glassy and haunted. Harry felt a pang in his chest as the fear always hovering at the corners of his mind speared through him. He wouldn't let Neville die. They would find a way to help him.

**xXxXxXx**

"Do you think we'll find her here?" Ron asked as they stepped into the library after dinner.

"Where else would she be?" Neville asked.

Harry smiled. "And what besides books would distract her from coming to eat?"

But the library was practically empty. Only Viktor Krum was there studying and a group of five girls were hiding behind a bookcase watching him and giggling softly. Madam Pince was watching them very sternly over her small square glasses so they weren't brave enough to make too much noise. Ron went red in the face with embarrassment and excitement as Harry walked calmly up to the Seeker and sat next to him.

"Hey, Viktor," Harry smiled. "What are you studying?"

Viktor scowled. “Harry."

Ron swallowed audibly. Neville rolled his eyes at the redhead and sat across from Harry, forcing Ron to take the seat across from Viktor. Harry kicked Ron under the table and gave him a warning glare. The redhead blushed harder, but he shut his mouth.

"Have you seen Hermione in here? She didn't come down to dinner," Harry asked his friend.

"I 'ave not seen her," Viktor answered without looking up from his book.

"Oh. Have you figured out the egg yet? I haven't really had time to take a good look at it."

"The clue is most difficult," Viktor acknowledged. He looked up from his book and gave a half-smile to the smaller brunet. "I am certain two heads are better van one. Perhaps ve can study it in private."

"That would be great.” Harry smiled. "How about this weekend?"

"That is vell.” Viktor nodded. "I vill meet you 'ere."

"Alright. Well, we're going to go look for Hermione. See you later." Harry stood and the other two boys followed his lead.

"See you, Harry," Viktor answered with his eyes on the book once more.

As soon as they stepped outside the library, Ron was on Harry, demanding to know when he had befriended the best Seeker in the world and if Harry would get him an autograph. Harry refused, saying that he wasn't going to bother Viktor with something like that since the Seeker hated it. Ron pouted the rest of the way back to the Tower. Leaving Neville and Harry to talk about the Second Task. None of them were expecting to be mobbed by an overexcited Hermione as soon as the portrait swung open.

"Harry! Ron!" She grabbed a hold of them. "Oh, you've got to come quick! The most amazing thing's happened - Oh, come on!"

The three boys shared a curious glance. Harry and Ron allowed her to drag them down to the first floor while Neville trailed behind. Harry began to have an idea what this was about when they stopped in front of a portrait with a bowl of fruit. Hermione released them to tickle the pear and then they were all stepping through.

The kitchen was huge. Ten stoves sat at the back, half of them were cooking. There were cupboards full of food, cold storage containers, tables with knives and bowls and utensils. About a hundred elves were rushing busily and happily about. Hermione ignored them and the elves ignored her. Harry found that curious since every time he had stepped into the kitchen at home, Omi was all over him in a second.

"They are annoyed with me," Hermione admitted easily. "I've been questioning them about their lives and how they could be made better. They feel a bit put out about it."

Ron snorted, but she ignored him.

"Look!" She pointed at the back corner by a huge fireplace.

Harry took in the two elves. The male had on about three shirts, seven socks, and a tea cozy on his head. The female was wearing a shrunken blue pleated skirt and white blouse. She was sobbing her eyes out. They both looked familiar and he narrowed his eyes.

"Is that Winky?" Neville asked.

**Yes, it is,** Silas answered and his voice was tight with suspicion. **What is she doing here?**

"Winky? Dobby?" Hermione crouched down before the two elves.

The male elf looked up and had large luminous green eyes. "Mister Harry Potter sir!" The elf jumped to his feet only to come crashing down around Harry's ankles. "Oh, I be so happy to be helping Mister Harry Potter!"

"Ah… Hello, Dobby…" Harry shifted his feet and tried to pry the elf off. "Wait… I remember now. You're that elf that tried to keep me from coming to Hogwarts in Second Year. You're Lucius Malfoy's elf."

"No, Harry Potter sir. I be a free elf. Yous thought up the plan to free me, Master Dumbledore be telling me. Harry Potter be a great good wizard, he is. I be a free elf because of him. So is Winky being! She be a free elf and Dobby found her while he be looking for a job. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed."

Winky's sobs turned into howls of misery. Hermione was hovering over her, pleading for her not to cry and asking what she needed. The brown-eyed elf ignored her completely. Dobby ignored them both and just spoke louder.

"Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, but Dobby hasn't found work because Dobby be asking for paying now." The other house-elves winced and edged away at this, but Dobby continued on happily. "And then, Harry Potter, Dobby goes to visit Winky and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!"

Winky flung herself off the stool and lay prostrate as she sobbed into the sooty kitchen floor. Hermione pried at her to get her up, but the elf was stronger than she looked and remained right where she was. Dobby was grinning madly and had to shout to be heard over her noise.

"And then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir! 'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house-elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to Dobby, sir! Hogwarts! So Dobby and Winky came to see Master Dumbledore, sir, and Master Dumbledore took us on! And he be even paying both of us!"

Winky sat up, falling silent, and glared furiously at Dobby. "Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid! Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"

"Ashamed?" Hermione gasped, horrified. "But- Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong, he was really horrible to you -"

But at these words, Winky clasped her hands over her ears. "You is not insulting my master, miss! You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"

"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," squeaked Dobby confidentially. "Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore."

Harry nodded thoughtfully. They spent the next few minutes just talking to Winky and Dobby. Hermione was doing all she could to make the little elf feel better, she even told Winky about Mr. Crouch sometimes coming to Hogwarts. This did cheer the elf immensely. Neville and Ron watched all this silently. Elves came over and offered tea. Both boys accepted gratefully, but Harry was too busy talking to Silas to notice.

**There is something strange about Winky coming here now of all times,** Silas was saying. **I'm going to look into this tonight.**

**What are you thinking?** Harry asked.

**I'll let you know when I found anything out.**

**Sy, tell me,** Harry growled, frustrated.

**I think Crouch sent her here,** Silas relented.

**Why would he do that? Do you think he's working with Voldemort?**

**Of course,** Silas said easily.

**You'll let me know what you find out?** Harry demanded.

**I won't keep you in the dark about something that could be threatening us,** Silas promised.

Harry nodded firmly. **Good.**

**xXxXxXx**

"What's going on?" Draco asked as he stepped into Myrtle's bathroom. He was curious as hell as to what could have made Silas ask to meet him on Monday instead of their usual Wednesday, especially since they had met last Friday.

Silas got straight to the point. "Crouch Sr.'s house-elf has been hired to work here.” He straightened from the wall and led the blond back out into the corridor. "I want to question her, but don't know interrogation spells for elves. I figured since you are a perfect, spoiled little Pureblood, you'd be able to help me."

"I am not little.” Draco glared playfully. "You're a good three inches shorter than me, Potter."

"Not where it counts.” Silas smirked. "Come on."

Draco laughed and followed his friend down to the kitchens. He eyes were bright with excitement. He loved intrigue and secrets. He was never happier than when he was sneaking around and plotting. Silas knew all this, of course, and he smiled fondly to himself. Draco was like a little kid sometimes, but he was also brilliant and inventive. That made his quirky personality tolerable. He wondered when Draco would figure out that this was not a game and that Silas's life, at least, depended on this.

They got to the kitchen and found most of the elves sleeping. Silas crept over to Dobby and Winky. He shook Winky's shoulder and her eyes popped open. Silas placed a finger to his lips and gestured for her to follow him. The little elf didn't seem like she wanted to. Draco stepped in and whispered that Dumbledore needed her and didn't want to alert the other elves so he had sent them to get her quietly. Winky's eyes went wide and she stood quickly and followed them out.

They led her to an empty classroom. Draco snapped out spells and the little elf was flung into a chair and bound there. Before she could struggle or bring her magic to bear, the blond snapped out a third spell. The incantation was long, taking about two seconds to incant, and Draco was almost too slow. The bindings were snapped by Winky's magic before she suddenly stopped and went docile in the chair.

"What was that?" Silas asked lazily. He stood by the door, his arms crossed and watching everything with cool green eyes.

Draco kept his body facing the elf, but he turned his head to the side so that Silas could see his smile in profile. "The beginning of the geas that binds house-elves to a Wizarding family. It neutralizes their magic and relaxes their minds into a impressionable state." Then he was facing forward again, his wand tip making tight circles in front of the elf as he began questioning her.

"Do you serve a Master?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"Crouch and Dumbledore."

"So you weren't freed?" Silas spoke up, but he didn't move from his position.

"I was freed, but not unbound to my master. I wish to serve and make him happy so I obeyed his order to get into Hogwarts. I am now under the service of Dumbledore and still bound to Crouch."

"Why did he order you to come to Hogwarts?" Draco asked, his gray eyes bright and pinned to his prey.

Winky blinked her large brown eyes, her face slack. She did not answer. Draco shook his head and moved on to a different question.

"Does Dumbledore know you are not bound to him?"

"No. Dobby helped me conceal it."

"Why?" Silas narrowed his eyes.

"He is not protected against wizard magic because he is free and unbound. He was therefore able to be placed under the Imperius Curse. My master ordered him to do all he could to ensure my position here."

"Is he still under the influence?" Draco's wand was beginning to quiver in his hand.

"No. It was broken as soon as he was bound to Dumbledore and protected from all magic except for his master's."

"Tell me about Crouch Jr.," Draco demanded tightly.

Again Winky was silent.

"Forget you were ever brought here and questioned," the blond said through gritted teeth and his wand slashed down.

Winky blinked once more and then with a crack she disappeared.

"Where did she go?" Silas asked. He came away from the door and helped Draco sit in the chair the elf had just left.

"The kitchens, most likely," Draco answered, wiping sweat from his forehead. He looked up at his friend and some of his childish excitement drained away. His face had a serious cast that was rare for him.

Silas smiled grimly in response. "So… Crouch sent his elf to Hogwarts to do something."

"We can't kill it." Draco tapped a long finger on his thigh. "Only an elf's bonded master can kill one."

"Getting rid of it would only tip off Crouch that we know something is up.” Silas shook his head, frowning. "No, we need to do something else."

"We need a way of watching it.” Draco nodded. "Was that Dobby? My father's house-elf?"

"Yeah. Dumbledore tricked Lucius into freeing it. Why?" Silas glanced down at his friend.

"I think I might have some sway over him still. There should be a faint remnant of the bond that held him to the Malfoy family that I can tap into."

"And he practically worships Harry." Silas' mouth slowly curled in a very devious smirk, but it was quickly wiped clear and neutral as he called out, "Dobby!"

A few seconds elapsed before there was a soft crack and a sleepy, crazily dressed elf stood before them. He blinked his lime green eyes and his face split into a joyful, toothy grin. "Harry Potter sir!"

"Hello, Dobby. I'm sorry for calling so late," Silas said sweetly. Draco covered his mouth to hide his grin. The movement drew the elf's attention and Dobby’s eyes got even bigger. "Dobby, this is my friend, Draco Malfoy. I'm sure you know him."

The elf quivered with emotion. "I do, Harry Potter sir!"

"He isn't going to hurt you," Silas reassured.

"I'm not my father, Dobby," Draco agreed. He tried to look as innocent as possible and wasn't sure how well he was succeeding.

"Look, Dobby, I have reason to believe that Winky was sent here by bad wizards," Silas said seriously. "I believe you were made to bring her here and help her hide the fact that she isn't unbound from Crouch. I need your help badly. I'm afraid she might hurt me."

"Winky wouldn't hurt great Harry Potter!" Dobby shouted.

"Even if she was ordered to by Crouch?" Silas countered. The elf didn't say anything. "I just want you to watch her for me. I might be wrong. That's why I don't want anyone else to learn what I fear Winky is up to. Just watch her and let me know if she does anything suspicious. Please, Dobby?"

"It would mean a lot to us, Dobby," Draco chimed in.

The elf looked from one fourteen year old boy to the other. His mouth was down in a frown, but he nodded. "I will watch Winky, sirs."

"Thank you so much, Dobby.” Silas smiled at the elf and Dobby seemed to relax at the expression.

"Do you be needing anything else, sir?" Dobby offered.

Silas kept smiling. "No, but thank you."

The elf nodded and left with a crack. Silas's expression melted and he turned to look at his friend. Draco was staring at the place the elf had left. He looked worried.

"Do you think that will be enough?" Silas asked him.

"I don't know.” Draco shook his head and met the other teen's eyes. "You'll just have to be extra careful, Silas. And Harry, too."

"I'm always careful," Silas answered as he moved past the blond.

"Goodnight," Draco said as they parted ways in the corridor. "You look exhausted."

"Thanks," Silas drawled and waved once over his shoulder.

**Chapter end.**

**Bonus:**

The following essays were turned in to Severus on Saturday, the day before the portkey spell was removed.

…

_The Stallion_

The horse is from the species _Equus caballus_ , which distinguishes it from the ass and zebra, which are from the same genus family. There are a great number of breeds of horses, each possessing distinctive characteristics not common to others. The modern horse has descended from these basic stocks: the Libyan horse of northern Africa; the common horse of Upper Asia and Europe; and the Celtic pony.

This animal symbolizes both the Sun and the Moon, as well as the sky and Underworld. You can tell which a single particular horse represents by its coloring The white horse is connected with the Moon; red, white, or golden ones with the Sun. Black horses, such as the one ridden by the Wild Huntsman, accompanies deities of death and the Underworld. My Animagus form had a roan colored coat with white rising up to its knees from its hooves. That makes my Animagus form mostly associated with the Sun, but with a single aspect of the Moon. The horse in general symbolizes power, swiftness, wisdom, and prophetic abilities.

As I have not shown any gift for divination, I believe the last aspect of the horse is referring to my Empathy, and I also believe that is the Moon aspect as well. As a red horse, my Animagus form is mostly linked to the Sun. In India, the Sun god Surya had seven red mares to pull his chariot. Sacred to the Celtic goddesses Epona and Rhiannon, the horse was an emblem of war and solar deities. The Sun mostly represents power and strength, as well as righteousness and truth. It can be harsh as well as a life giver. Horses were also widely believed to bring good fortune and avert evil. As the Boy-Who-Lived, I find that distinctly appropriate.

Mainly what the horse represents about a person's personality and character is stamina, endurance, and faithfulness. It symbolizes freedom when it runs free; when a horse works with humans, it represents friendship and cooperation. Travel, journey, swiftness, friends, and loyalty, the horse represents someone who will be a good companion and guardian.

…

_The Oak Tree_

After doing extensive research, I have found that the Oak is deeply connected in our hearts as representing the very essence of England. It used to represent the power of the High King and his ancient and spiritual link to the land. With all that it represents, it is hard not to think of this tree as a masculine energy- mighty, strong, enduring, and steadfast.

The images we have of the Oak are buried deep in our national psyche. It is one of the longest-living trees, spanning generation upon generations. The Oak will take 70-80 years before it begins to produce acorns. By then, the trunk will be about 20 inches in diameter, but this will still be a young tree. After it has reached 100 years, it will only increase its girth by about one inch a year, but this extremely hard dense wood is highly prized as a building material and firewood.

Until men created iron cutting tools, the Oak resisted all attempts to fell it. After this, ironically, Oak became the main wood for making the charcoal needed for the furnaces which separated iron from its ore. It later became the main construction material for houses, churches, and ships as it was strong and durable.

The Oak tree was also very holy to the Druids. One etymology of the word Druid derives it from "dru-wid", which means "knower of the Oak trees". "Dru" also means truth, so it could also give the meaning "knower of the truth". In Ogham, the Oak is given the word Duir. Duir comes from the Gaelic and Sanskrit word meaning "door" and there are many associations to be found linking the Oak, not only to the doors of our houses, but also as representing a doorway to inner strength. The Druids firmly believed that the Oak will lead the way to the truth, especially where this is connected to past actions. The Oak will bring about revelations that will bring strength and vision. It represents a doorway to new understanding.

The Oak is also linked to summer. It was the fuel for the Midsummer fires. The Oak therefore virtually stands at the doorway of the great turning point of the year, the Summer Solstice. The sun reaches the height of its power and strength and turns to begin a new cycle of its decline. The Oak is central to the understanding that this change will affect everyone and is part of our growth, which links us to the etheric web of the Earth. The Summer Solstice is the peak of expressive and expansive personal energy, but it cannot last forever or we would burn ourselves out. Strength and endurance can be gained if we learn from our experiences now and begin to prepare for the new cycle that is about to begin.

Even now, sitting with an Oak tree will soothe the nervous system and help you solve emotional problems. It will bring deep calm and the will to survive. The flower of the Oak can be used in potions to help those struggling and fighting strongly and constantly in their daily lives. It will bring renewed strength and courage to any situation and restore faith, so that you can go ahead and aim for what you want in life. The juice from crushed Oak leaves can be used to enhance healing potions to open wounds, cuts, and burns. Oak is also an ingredient in many mouthwash potions that aid bleeding gums or bad teeth. Oak bark is used in potions that reduce fevers and helps heal tonsillitis, pharyngitis, and laryngitis.

Wands are made from Oak. An Oak wand helps bring out a person's inner strength and power. It is especially good to make a wand from oakwood from trees that have been struck by lightning as it is said to give the owner great protection. Lightning never strikes in the same place twice, after all.

The Norse God Thor and all thunder Gods are connected to the Oak, which is often struck by lightning. The force of the blast bursts the trunk apart, often leaving a hollow bole and gnarled and withered trunks. Here lies a warning about stubborn rigid strength, which resists and breaks in the storm. Flexibility can be a strength in itself, which can balance the forcefulness of rigid thinking and actions Oak-type people are prone to. Those around Oak-type people need to remind them of this.

A person with an Oak Animagus is probably strong and determined. They will be hard-workers who will not complain and who will work relentlessly without a holiday. Their enormous contribution is not always recognized or recompensed. This is because an Oak-type person will feel an inner reluctance to appear weak in the eyes of others and are worried about becoming dependant, and so they will do anything rather than ask others for help.

People have gone to sit beneath the mighty Oak to gain strength and spiritual renewal. The outside world can be forgotten and the inner world can slip back into perspective. The Oak can help you to find new understanding and vision, gained from your experiences. This in turn will bring strength and courage to face whatever life has to offer you. The Oak tree's might presence will help restore faith in ourselves.

Overall, I feel like I need the Oak and do not represent what it stands for. Remus says that if I can't see the Oak inside me, then maybe the Oak is a future version of myself. But that seems just as unlikely. I don't know why my Animagus form is an Oak. Maybe it's because I'm an Earth Elemental and I have to be a tree of some kind and the Oak is obviously closely related to England and was worshipped by ancient wizards.

**End**


	39. Internal Tension and Dancing

**Internal Tension and Dancing**

Thursday came swiftly. Harry was on edge all day, but he tried his best not to show it. Today would be the day when Omi would come and see if he recognized the type of magic Neville used during his Earth elemental lesson with Rowena Castle. Neville had no idea he was going to be watched by the little elf. Harry had almost told him, but then he thought better of it. He didn't want his brother's hopes to be raised just for Omi to say he couldn't help.

"Potter! Will you pay attention!" McGonagall snapped.

Harry jumped. "Sorry, Professor." He diligently tore his attention and eyes from a pale and empty-eyed Neville and returned to trying to change his guinea fowl into a guinea pig.

"No matter," McGonagall sniffed. Her stern continence and tight silver bun made her looked like some kind of bird of prey. It was hard to believe that her Animagus form was a cat. "Everyone turn in what you have done and return to your seats. Your homework is to describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches."

The class of Gryffindor fourth years rushed to do as she said. All ten of them managed to be in their seats in three minutes, looking up at her expectantly. They knew that whenever McGonagall stopped her class early it was because she had an announcement to make. Her tight-lipped mouth quirked slightly before they thinned into a stern line once again.

"The Yule Ball is approaching - a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now the ball will be open only to fourth years and above - although you may invite a younger student if you wish. Dress robes will be worn and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall.

"Now then.” McGonagall looked around at the class, staring particularly hard at the giggling Lavender and Parvati. "The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to -" she sneered with disapproval "- let our hair down. But that does NOT mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

The bell rang and immediately the class burst into noisy discussion about the announcement. Harry packed up his things and was about to follow everyone out when he heard McGonagall call him to the front. He frowned. He had come to understand that being asked to stay behind by a professor was never a good thing. He fought against the current of the class and agilely made his way to his teacher's desk.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Potter, the Champions and their partners…"

"What partners?" he interrupted sharply. McGonagall peered at him suspiciously and Harry began to scowl. Why was she looking at him as if he were stupid?

"Your partners for the Yule Ball, Potter," she said coldly. "Your _dance partners_."

**Why does she keep calling us Potter?** Silas hissed in irritation. **She's our Head of House. You'd think she'd use 'Harry' just for appearance sake.**

Harry ignored him, staring at his teacher in disbelief. He had realized that some people would ask their love interest to the ball, but he hadn't thought it would be mandatory. He had to have a dance partner? He didn't even know how to dance and didn't have anyone he wanted to invite. The ball had sounded like fun, but now he was wondering if it would be worth the trouble.

**They just want to make a spectacle of us. Have a good picture of the Boy-Who-Lived and Champion dancing around at some ball. It's all for publicity,** Silas growled.

As if to prove Silas right, McGonagall went on saying, "Traditionally, the Champions and their partners open the ball. You are one of Hogwarts Champions, and you will do what is expected of you as a representative of the school. So make sure you get yourself a partner, Potter."

Harry glared. "I'm not opening the ball. You're right. We do have two Champions, so Cedric can uphold that aspect of the Tournament. I'm in this thing against my will. I will not participate like some trained monkey. You're lucky I'm going at all."

"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall's voice lashed out like a whip. "Do not take that tone with me. It is unfortunate things have progressed the way they have, but you must fulfill your role. Or we cannot have the ball at all."

"Bullocks!" Harry gasped, shocked at the lengths they would go to just to get him to do what they wanted. He knew very well how much everyone was looking forward to the ball. They'd be pissed with him if he got it canceled.

"I am certainly not joking, Potter.” McGonagall glared. "Will you open the ball or not?"

"Fine," Harry growled and stormed from the room.

**I don't see why you care about everyone else,** Silas sighed. **Just refuse and let them cancel the stupid thing.**

**No, Sy.**

**I hate to point this out, but we don't know how to dance,** Silas snapped.

Harry grinned. **Then I guess I'll just have to get lessons.**

**What are you planning?**

**You'll see.**

**xXxXxXx**

Harry really hated opening his empathy when he was at school. The castle was full of about one thousand hormonal teenagers. When he opened his empathy, it was always a bit like walking into a hurricane that has no eye, but he really wanted to monitor his brother while he was practicing. So he crept down the corridor that led to the courtyard that Neville worked in and released his impenetrable Occlumency shields.

He was immediately distracted by the waves of excitement, nervous fear, depression, and other such emotions swirling around his back, below feet, and above his head. Wrinkling his brow in deep concentration, Harry focused solely in front of him. It was strange. He couldn't really sense Neville. All he could feel was a deep awareness, slow and vast and massive. Neville must have tapped into the Earth already.

For three hours, Harry stood there waiting. Eventually the oppressive weight of alien consciousness began to peel away. Slowly, the emotions that had the distinct feel of Neville began to surface like bubbles rising in an ocean. Harry was damp with sweat and he scrubbed at his face with both hands, his green eyes still looking past the door standing in front of him.

Panicked confusion and reluctance rose sharply from his brother. Harry could literally feel him groping emotionally for _something_ to hold on to. It was horrible and frightening. Terror ripped and tore, and Harry felt the total lack of understanding and lack of identity crash through him. Slowly, like collecting glass shards in your cupped hands, slowly scooping them up and pulling them toward you, Neville's emotions tipped and stabilized and shrank as awareness and identity slowly settled in. claustrophobia and helplessness rose up and choked both teenagers.

Harry couldn't take anymore and slowly closed his mind. It was harder than ever before. If it weren't for Silas, he would never have made it. He became aware that he was on his knees, sobbing and clinging to the door. He could hardly get his breath and fear was still sending his heart rocketing against his chest. Sweat dripped from his nose and chin, mixed with his tears. He was completely blown away by what he had experienced. He buried his face against his knees as he realized that Neville had endured this torment every week without anyone understanding or knowing.

Silas tugged gently and Harry fell back into comfortable darkness. Silas stood and walked quickly down the corridor. He didn't think Neville would appreciate company right now. He slipped into an unused room and called softly for Omi. After a long second, there was a crack and Severus' elf appeared. His blue eyes were filled with tears and he was twisting his ears. It was a common mannerism for a house-elf, but Silas had never seen Omi do so.

"Did you recognize Neville's magic?"

"Oh, yes, sir.” Omi nodded tearfully. "I know that type of magic. I think I can be finding a good teacher for young Neville sir. Poor young Neville does not know how to balance his magic, sir. It be drowning him and he be letting it."

"When do you think you can have a teacher here?" Silas asked impatiently.

"Soon, sir. I go now!" Omi disappeared with a crack.

"Did you hear that?" Silas asked the wall.

"I did.” Rowena appeared in his line of sight.

"Does that mean we won't be doing the summoning?" Salazar asked. He appeared behind Silas, forcing the teenager to turn to face him.

Silas glared with dislike. "Only if the teacher Omi finds works."

"We'll continue preparing then," Godric said as he formed next to Salazar. His face was as serious as usual. "The spirit summoning will be ready on the Winter Solstice."

Silas nodded and left them. He made his way toward Severus' quarters, knowing he and Lupin would want to know the news. He strode down the hall with a deep frown. He was not pleased by Harry falling apart. Neville's condition was worsening. They would have to move fast now. By the way Harry reacted, Silas wasn't even sure Neville would be around for the Solstice if things continued the way they were.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry went to CoMC Friday feeling tired, but his shields were up and he was relatively alone in his head. Silas was small and broody, but Harry knew he wasn't asleep. He grinned to himself. He was glad. He didn't want his alter to miss what he was about to do. Neville was withdrawn and pale, so the teen didn't really realize when Harry fell behind the rest of the Gryffindors. Hermione and Ron noticed, but Harry waved them on. 

The Slytherins were just coming up from the dungeon. Harry spotted the white hair of Draco Malfoy toward the front of the group and stepped back into the shadows around the doors. When Draco was only a few feet from him, he cast a spell that snagged the attention of the victim. Gray eyes locked on his and he beckoned the blond over toward him.

"I left my gloves and there's no way I'm handling those monsters without them," Draco sneered to his group. "Go on. I'll be there shortly."

Crabbe and Goyle frowned, but they eventually wandered away with the rest of the Fourth-year Slytherins. Draco waited until he was certain none of them were coming back and made his way into the shadows where Harry was waiting. The Gryffindor gave him a wide grin and Draco curled his lip in disdain.

"What do you want, Potter?"

**Harry. What are you doing?** Silas asked in a clipped, cold voice.

Harry's grin got wider. "Morning, Draco!"

**Harry!**

Draco lifted an eyebrow.

"You know the Yule Ball? Well, I was just wondering if you could do me a favor?"

"Are you asking me to the ball?" Draco's mouth had fallen open and his eyes were as large as saucers.

Harry laughed, Silas hissed furiously, and Draco flushed with mortification. "No!" Harry reassured. "I just wanted to know if you knew how to dance and if you could teach me. McGonagall said since I was a Champion I had to open the thing, and I don't know what I'm doing."

"That's no surprise," Draco sneered, still flushed with embarrassment. "Of course I know how to dance, Potter. I was not raised without culture, unlike you."

**What the HELL do you think you're doing?** Silas roared.

**Look, you're mad if you think I couldn't figure this out. I know Draco is your friend, I know he's Serpentine, and I think he's the best choice to teach us to dance.**

**No, he's not. You could have asked any Pureblooded Gryffindor or even Severus himself. You're just doing this to piss me off.**

**That's not true.** Harry flushed. Aware that Silas was honestly upset. He had never heard his alter speak like this before. He almost sounded hurt. **I admit I could ask someone else, but Draco can teach us and I wanted to prove it to you that I don't mind you two being friends.**

"Harry?" Draco waved his hand in front of the Gryffindor's face. "Are you listening to me?"

"What?"

"I said, I'd teach you. Sunday morning. Empty classroom by Potions?"

"Oh, yeah, sure.” Harry smiled. "Thanks, Draco."

"If I get a detention because I'm late to class, I'm sicking a skrewt on you," the blond grumbled and made his way out to Hagrid's hut.

**Sy?** There was no answer. **Silas? I'm sorry. I thought…**

**I know what you thought.** There was a pause and when Silas spoke again his voice was even and emotionless. **Forget about it. Let's just go to class.**

**I can cancel if you want.**

**No. It's fine.**

**I'm sorry, Sy.**

**Harry. Shut up.**

Harry didn't say anything else and dragged his feet through the snow and went to class. He apologized to Hagrid for being late, but the half-giant only waved merrily. He worked in silence. Ron and Hermione shot him curious glances, but they didn't ask what was wrong. Neville was deep inside himself still and didn't even notice his tension. He hadn't meant to make Silas upset. He didn't even know why his alter was mad.

"How was your interview, Hagrid?" he asked just to think of something else.

"She didn' seem very interested in magical creatures ter tell yeh the truth. She jus' wanted me ter talk about you, 'arry. Well, I told her we'd been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. 'Never had to tell him off in four years?' she said. I told her no, an' she didn' seem happy at all. Yeh'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, 'arry."

"Of course she did.” Hermione scowled as she threw lumps of dragon liver into a large metal bowl. "She probably blames Harry for getting her kicked out of the castle and she's even madder that he gave his interview to Silverwood."

"She wants to damage Harry, Hagrid," Ron agreed with a glare at the bloody knife he was using. "You're supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent!"

Hagrid was shocked and angry when he realized the true purpose behind Skeeter's interview. He promised the next time he saw her, he would giver her a piece of his mind. Harry felt warmed by his friend's concern and defense, and he was glad Ron was on his side again, as well as Hermione and Hagrid. If only Neville would be okay and Silas would forgive him, things would be perfect.

**xXxXxXx**

"Potter."

Harry looked up from his dinner plate and saw that McGonagall was standing behind him. "Yes, Ma'am?"

"The Headmaster would like to see you in his office after you are finished eating."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry sighed and McGonagall returned to the head table.

"What do you think that's about?" Neville asked with bruised eyes, but at least he was aware and talking now.

"Probably another lesson.” Harry scowled at his plate and viciously speared a potato.

"What kind of lesson?" Ron frowned.

"You never did tell us what he wanted after the First Task," Hermione added.

Harry had told Neville and Severus about the Pensieve lessons with Dumbledore after Silas had explained it to him, but he had never gotten around to telling his friends. He sighed and ran a hand through his messy dark hair. "I'll tell you tomorrow," he promised.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, but she must have been satisfied with what she saw for she nodded and went back to her dinner. 

**xXxXxXx**

"You wished to see me?" Silas drawled as he climbed past the gargoyle.

"Silas?" Dumbledore frowned.

"I figured you would want to talk to me. Was I wrong?"

"No, no, my boy. Have a seat." The old man gestured at the seat across from him and Silas took it reluctantly. Dumbledore smiled out of his white beard and his blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses. His robes were less offensive than usual. A relatively mild yellow color with white cats and dogs running around on them. "How are you, my boy?"

"Well," Silas answered shortly, his face blank and expressionless.

"Very good." Dumbledore's smile kicked up a notch. "And have you begun to explore the golden egg?"

"Not yet," Silas drawled lazily and stared at his nails. It was a posture he had picked up from Draco.

"Well, you have until the end of February. I wouldn't be concerned."

Silas didn't answer that inane comment and just stared at the headmaster patiently.

The old man chuckled. "Straight to business then. I have a memory I'd like you to view. I'm sorry we haven't met sooner, but I've been a bit busy lately."

Silas bowed his head and lowered his face into the swirling liquid. He was sucked into a memory of Voldemort coming and asking for the DADA job. It was refused him. Silas wondered if he had been allowed employment at Hogwarts, would Voldemort have continued on to become a Dark Lord? Sure, he was Dark even then, but he didn't seem like he wanted to rule the world yet.

"Was he qualified for the position?" Silas asked casually when they returned from the memory.

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore frowned.

"I was just wondering if he had become qualified and then asked for the job or if he didn't bother and instead relied on intimidation," Silas answered smoothly.

Dumbledore relaxed and smiled. "Yes, well, Voldemort was indeed qualified. He wasn't quite up to scare tactics at this point in time. His position wasn't yet strong enough."

"I see." Silas wondered how blind Dumbledore could be. About both him and Tom Riddle. How could the man mistake Silas's hatred; how could the man condemn Tom because of unproven suspicions? Dumbledore still thought himself a hero, though. He saw himself as the ultimate guardian of Light. The second Merlin. Silas wished to hex him dead with all his heart, and he promised himself when _his_ position was strong enough, he would.

"Do you have any further questions?" Dumbledore asked.

Silas shook his head once. “No."

"I believe that the reason Voldemort wanted the position was to be closer to the Chamber of Secrets. Now that you have discovered that it was Voldemort who had opened it fifty years ago, it seems likely that was his goal even back then."

“Maybe I should explore and see if there was anything left behind.”

The look on the teen’s face was distinctly chilling and Dumbledore frowned. "I would not recommend it at this time. There could be devastating traps and I do not wish you to get hurt. Besides, you have the Second Task to prepare for."

Silas nodded, smirking inside. If only the old man knew he went down there every week with Draco Malfoy. He bet the fool would have a heart attack. Dangerous, indeed. Dumbledore just didn't want Silas down there until he could find a way in and take out anything valuable first. Good thing Silas didn't give a shit what Dumbledore wanted and was already harvesting the treasures in the Chamber.

**xXxXxXx**

_He walked into the teacher's office, anticipation rising in his blood. He knew they were about to play. Looking up through lowered eye lashes, he swayed his hips as he was led forward and toward the desk. One flick of the man's wand and the surface was wiped clean. He knew his part and jumped up, sitting on it as the man watched with bright, hungry eyes. He smiled, thrilling at his power over this trembling man. He leaned forward suggestively, slowly spreading his legs, his robes parting and pooling around him. The man's breath quickened and he licked his lips, eyes burning now._

“ _Do you want to play?" he asked huskily, slowly tilting his head back and licking his lips teasingly._

" _Merlin, you're beautiful," the man rasped. He stepped closer and with trembling hands slowly slid the robe from Silas’s shoulders._

_Silas tilted his head back, eyes closed in pleasure as he felt the gentle tugs of his shirt's buttons being undone. The cool air brushed across his collar bone, his shoulders, then his chest and stomach as his shirt was slipped from him. Warm, moist hands pressed against his chest, slid up and over his shoulders, sending warm jolts down his spine. Then there was an even hotter mouth at his neck sucking and it felt so good._

_A low moan was pulled from his lips._

" _I want you. Merlin, I want to take you right here. I want to bend you over this desk and make you mine forever. Would you like that, Kitten? Do you want me to fuck you blind?"_

" _Feels so good." Silas opened green eyes, not caring about the words, focused solely on the sensations trailing over his skin as those hands removed his pants and stroked him, sending fireworks through his nerves. He sighed and fell back, sprawling naked on the desk. Lockhart traced his body and it tickled, making Silas laugh._

" _You're so beautiful," Lockhart groaned and brought their mouths together._

_Silas lay passive as the man did wonderful things with his tongue. He never knew his mouth could feel like that. Then the man was rutting against him, still fully dressed. Their bodies were pressed together, Silas pinned to the desk by the man's bulk and weight. The friction was almost painful. He turned his head, breaking the kiss and pouted._

_"Make it feel good," he ordered._

_Lockhart moaned and got off. "Say you want me."_

" _Want you.” Silas tossed his head impatiently, spreading his legs invitingly._

" _Say you need me," Lockhart rasped, panting with lust._

" _Need you. Want you."_

" _Merlin, Kitten." Lockhart knelt and licked at the sensitive flesh offered to him, pumping himself desperately._

_Silas gasped and cried out, arching his back._

"NO!" Silas sat up in his bed in his soul chamber, gasping in horror. He rolled and dry-heaved, curled over the side of the bed, retching miserably. His heart pounded in horror as the dream-memory lingered in his mind. He’d gotten hard during the dream, but it wilted quickly as shock and reaction set in.

He was shaking violently as terror, shame, and hate boiled up from his gut and made the room sway dangerously in his eyes. Demon's chilling laughter trailed into his room and he gasped, fighting for control. Gentle sobs reached his ears. He hadn't heard it over his own desperate noises, but now that he was trying to calm himself, it was unmistakable. It was coming from within his room. He sat up and was shocked at what he saw.

Boy crouched at the end of the bed. His naked and heavily scarred body trembled. His matted brown hair was limp with oil and dried blood. His dark eyes, eyes so much like Severus's, were looking fearfully at the emerald bedspread as his hands twisted nervously in it. He was weeping. The sound was full of hurt, but it wasn't like his normal crying. He didn't sound as terrified or as if he were in pain. The starved, abused toddler only sounded lost.

Slowly, the sweat dried on Silas's skin and his panic receded as concern for Boy pushed back his memories. He wasn't sure what to do. Touching the tortured alter wasn't the answer, Silas wasn't so fond of physical contact in any case, but the child was here for something and he had to try to comfort him.

"It's alright," he said gently, warmly.

Boy flinched at the sound of Silas's voice, but he didn't flee or start on his mantra. He lifted his head and his eyes nervously met Silas's blue-gray before skittering away and looking over the Core alter's shoulder. 

"You hurt," he muttered hoarsely.

Suddenly, Silas understood and he smiled bitterly. His voice remained gentle, however. "This is my pain. It's okay for me to hurt. You don't need to take this pain."

Boy took in a shaky breath and shook his head hard. His thin arms came up and wrapped around his thin burned, cut, and scarred chest. "Boy hurts. Boy always hurts. Boy should hurt, not others."

"Pain… It belongs to everyone," Silas sighed. "Sometimes pain is necessary to warn us or to help us learn. I need this pain. It tells me that I have a wound that needs to heal. Without the pain, I wouldn't know the wound was there and it would never get better. Do you understand?"

Boy was rocking. "Hurting good?"

"Sometimes." Silas laid his head back against his headboard. He wasn't cut out for this. "But only if it serves to make you better. You… You were hurt for no other reason than to break you. You have too much pain; a type of pain that doesn't help. I am going to try and protect you from any more of that kind of pain. I hope one day you will be able to feel things other than pain and fear. Things like happiness, contentment, security. Like I do. Do you understand?"

"No," Boy wailed, tensing and expecting punishment for his stupidity.

Silas closed his eyes. "That's all right. I don't think I really do either. It just sounded good."

Boy lifted his head and slowly his cries stopped. "You hurt?"

"Yes, I can hurt, too." Silas lifted his head and smiled at the young child.

There was a strange expression on the small alter’s face. One like wonder. Silas's smile fell away and he was amazed that Boy was meeting his eyes so steadily without flinching away. Something was going on in the alter's mind, but Silas was at a loss to understand. Suddenly, the child smiled. It was an expression he had never before worn and it looked awkward and strained but sincere.

"Silas the same as Boy," the child said as tears rolled down his gaunt cheeks. "Silas hurt like Boy."

"I want to make it stop hurting," Silas explained.

"Boy want hurt to stop," the child admitted in a whisper. "But Boy bad. Boy always hurt."

"Not anymore," Silas said firmly. "You aren't hurt anymore. And you're not bad."

Boy just stared at him. It was too much for him to understand. It was too much for him to believe, but the fact that he was willingly communicating said a lot about how much he was improving. Padfoot's therapy with him was really making a huge difference. The child curled up at the end of the bed and settled in a tight ball. His black eyes were open and staring, wary. Silas settled back and ignored him. If Boy found comfort from staying with him, he wasn't going to kick him back into the cupboard.

Eventually, the child's eyes closed and he fell into an exhausted sleep. No longer distracted, Silas's attention returned to his nightmare. He had them often now. Ever since he had accepted Draco as a friend, they had haunted him. He knew it was because he feared intimacy of any kind. He was terrified of being hurt and used again. By accepting Draco, he was opening himself up to pain, but at the same time knowing Draco understood him the way no other could, not even Severus, was a strange comfort that he had been unable to resist.

Maybe Boy was discovering the same kind of comfort as he realized the others he lived with could feel pain, too. Still, Silas wasn't happy about his slipping self-control. He was down right angry that the mere idea of friendship sent him reeling into nightmares. He had nothing to be afraid of. Draco was not his equal. If he did make a move to hurt him, Silas would deal with him in seconds. Silas could protect himself now. He was no longer Kitten. He was strong and in control.

Except he wasn't.

Harry was now interacting with Draco. He was taking Silas's control away, involving himself in the only thing that was Silas's alone, and that sent desperate hurt through him. He hadn't expected the pain to come from Harry and had been completely caught off guard. Then he realized he must consider Harry a friend, too, for him to feel betrayed by Harry. There was no way to defend against the Host. Silas couldn't lash out at him. He was helpless. That terrified him.

Silas pulled his knees to his chest and buried his face against them. He wondered how this had happened. He felt like he'd snap at any moment, but he couldn't push this onto Boy. He wouldn't. The child had suffered enough. Silas wouldn't add to it. No. He had to keep the pain and fear. He had to figure out a way to live with them. He had to figure out a way to protect himself. Or he'd break, and with him, all the other alters since he was their Core.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus opened his door worriedly, though he'd never show it. Only one person could be knocking for entrance at three thirty in the morning. Sure enough Harry stood on the other side. He looked exhausted and was hugging himself against the cold dungeon air. Dark circles lay under his eyes and he looked up at Severus with eyes full of strain. Severus gestured him in, muttering warming spells at the teen as he passed. Harry didn't notice and that really worried him. Now that Gabriel was a part of Harry, the teen rarely ever was unaware of the people around him and was _never_ unaware if they were casting spells.

The teen went over to his dark blue couch and stood in front of his preferred seat. Severus watched his tense back. Harry wore only his red pajamas and thick red socks. His messy hair was limp. Severus opened his mouth to say something; he needed to have Harry's attention. He wasn't sure he liked the way the teen just stood there. Before he could speak, Harry spun around and wrapped his arms around Severus’s waist in a desperate hug.

Severus was shocked. He stood stiff, looking down at the black head of hair a few inches short of his chin. The teen was trembling faintly. Deeply worried now, Severus wrapped one arm around the teen and slowly guided him back toward the couch. He sat, pulling Harry next to him, still with one arm wrapped uncomfortably around Harry's shoulders.

"I just don't know what to do," Harry's muffled voice spoke. Even then Severus could hear the tension.

"About what, Harry?" Severus asked as gently as he could.

"Everything." Harry pulled away, curling up at the end of the couch, facing Severus with desperate eyes. "It's all too much. I don't think I can handle it anymore. The Tournament, Voldemort, Neville, classes, my friends; it's all too much!"

"Breathe, Harry," Severus ordered and rose to get the teen something to drink. He spoke as he moved. "I know you are facing a great many challenges this year. You have held up remarkably well. In fact, you have faced these problems steadily before now. What is really causing you trouble?"

He handed the teen the glass of water and also offered a calming potion should Harry decide to take it. Harry didn't, but he sipped at the water. His eyes were shadowed by his hair and glasses, so Severus couldn't read them, but he had known Harry well for almost one and a half years. He could read the tilt of the boy’s head, the set of his shoulders, the movement of his hands. Something was bothering Harry besides the list he had given. Granted the list of problems he had recited was grievous indeed and did not help, but Severus was certain that he had guessed right and something more was bothering his charge. And it was something Harry did not want to tell him.

Harry was Gabriel now, however, so the teen found the strength to look up and the courage to ask for help. "It's Neville and Silas. I've been… so…" The teen stumbled awkwardly, searching for words. “… afraid for my brother. And… I used my empathy to watch his last session with Rowena and the emotions… It was horrific and my brother has been enduring that without me knowing and I'm afraid we're too late and I don't want to lose him. I love him, Severus. And I'm afraid he's going to die, but I'm more upset that he's hurting. He hurts so much and it's not fair."

"I know.” Severus nodded, absorbing and watching. "It is very hard to see a loved one suffer. However, I have come to believe that Longbottom is stronger than we know, stronger than he knows. I believe we are not too late, Harry. Omi is searching for a teacher and even should that fail, come December 21st, Hogwarts will summon a teacher. We will not let Longbottom fall."

"I hope not. I'll do everything I can to help him. I know you and Remus will, too. The waiting is unbearable, though." Harry smiled at that, but it was tight and didn't reach his eyes.

"Longbottom will survive." Severus suspected that his charge needed help getting to the topic he most needed to speak about, so he decided to fish a little. "What troubles you about Silas? He is a survivor, as well."

Harry crossed his arms defensively, but the anxiety spiked in his body language and through the tightening of his face. Distantly, Severus was aware of his stomach coiling in dread. Harry was keeping something from him. But he kept all this from his face. He waited patiently and was rewarded by Harry slumping with defeat, his arms coming uncrossed and instead gripping at his knees.

"I… I don't know what…" He shook his head helplessly, his green eyes begging for guidance. "I can't tell you."

"Harry…" Severus said the name carefully, his mind racing. He needed to know what Harry was hiding, but he couldn't push the teen. "Do you remember promising not to tell us Neville was suffering?"

Harry closed his eyes against something horrible. He breathed out in a thready whisper, "Yes."

"Do you remember why you broke the promise?"

"To help him." Harry was shaking now.

"Is this more of the same? Or should this secret be kept?" Severus asked evenly. He hated to see his charge suffering and the dread was building as he watched Harry's reactions.

"Before me and Gabriel merged," Harry began, "I used to talk to my alters by writing to them. I'd write something and then one of them would use my arm to write back. I have it all in my journal if you want." He looked away and fidgeted with the material at his knees. "I didn't tell you because I knew you would disapprove. I'm not supposed to treat them like real people, but… But I needed them. I needed to know them. Then there came the time where I could actually hear them talking to me in my head. But that went away again when I merged with Rose…"

Severus held himself still as Harry paused. He was obviously struggling with something.

"I remember being Gabriel, just as I remember being Rose. I remember having a small space of my own in here," he said as he touched his temple. "I remember sitting in the sitting room and watching what I was doing as if I were watching a movie. But mostly I remember being able to see Silas. We worked together and… he was even opening up to me a little more. He was beginning to trust me. He allowed me to see when he was hurting and needed support, and that happened more than you'd think. I was there to watch out for him, make sure he was getting rest."

He sighed and buried his face against his knees. "After the merge, I could hear Silas in my head when I wanted. I know I have the power to block him, but I haven't yet. I don't want to. We talk to each other a lot, but it's not the same. When I go In, I'm sleeping. I no longer see the sitting room or Silas. I can't be there for him the way I was before. He's alone in there. I feel like I've abandoned him. I worry about him because it's not the same. He doesn't trust me to take care of him. I know he doesn't. He feels like he has to be the big brother to Harry. He has to protect the Host. But I'm Gabriel as well as Harry and I want to take care of him, but I can't. Does any of this make sense?"

“Yes." Severus inclined his head. His heart was racing and so were his thoughts.

"I feel guilty," Harry continued, still not lifting his head from his knees. "And I'm worried. I'm trying to show Sy that I care about him. That I can help him if he lets me, but… But I'm only making things worse. I can feel that he's tense. That he's drawn close to the breaking point and I… I don't know what to do to help him. I've been waking up at night, out of breathe and afraid, but it's not me having the nightmares. It's Sy. He won't talk about them. If I ask how he is, he says he's fine. He won't open up to me anymore. And I can't go in there and get in his face about it like before. And…" Harry lifted his head, tears filling his eyes and rolling down his cheeks. "And I don't know what to do to help him. I left him, Severus! I just left him in there to deal with everything alone. Now I'm Out here and I can't… I just… It's not fair! I don't care if I'm Host. I want to be able to go Inside and see him!"

Severus grieved. He had allowed himself to see only the phenomenal progress Harry had made with his mental illness. He was merging with his alters and was coming to terms with what they stood for. But Harry's mental state was still fragile. Worse, Harry was completely caught up in Silas being a different person now. And Severus had allowed that to happen.

The gulf between Harry and Silas had slowly gotten bigger and bigger as they formed a relationship like they were two different people. It was true Harry was worried about Silas, and it was likely true that Harry really did consider Silas a friend, but the foundation of his distress was based on the unconscious realization that he was alienating himself from key aspects of who he was. The farther Silas went out of reach, the less whole Harry felt. They were the same person, torn apart. Harry thought befriending the alter was going to bring them back together, but it was only making the separation more apparent.

And now they were breaking. Silas was breaking because he had no access, not even unconscious access anymore to Harry's courage and love. Harry was breaking because he no longer had Silas' knowledge, adeptness, and ingenuity to draw on. It had been okay when Silas and Gabriel had been communicating as fellow alters. They had been united as their purpose was to serve Harry. No matter how it looked or felt, they were working as a unit. Now that Gabriel was Host with Harry, they were no longer working as a unit. Their purpose had shifted.

Silas's purpose was still to serve Harry, but Harry's purpose was to live. And living meant lots of complications. He had many goals, many relationships, many purposes now, as the list of problems he had recited indicated. Living was more complex than not living, and Silas wasn't living. He had retreated and his world was wholly internal now. As complicated as that seemed, it was relatively simple compared to dealing with real life. They had no common ground any longer.

"Harry, there is a reason I asked you not to communicate in this way with your alters. As much as you think it brings you closer, you are really pushing Silas away from you."

"What do you mean?" Harry looked up at him with tired, guilty eyes.

Severus sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Silas is you. You are Silas. He is not your friend and by setting him up as someone else, you are denying him. You are denying who he is."

"I didn't mean to."

Harry was wringing his hands, his face pale and tight, and he was shaking again. This was too much for him right now. Severus reached over and insisted he drink the potion. Harry took it obediently.

"I know you didn't. Silas is at fault, as well. We can fix this. Do not worry, Harry."

"But I can't just ignore him!" Harry protested. "I can't!"

"I realize that," Severus drawled and waited for the potion to take effect before continuing. Slowly his charge's face relaxed and exhaustion set in. "I will think on this and we will find a solution. Rest, Harry."

"But Sy's hurting. I want to help him."

"I know. We will," Severus promised.

Harry's eyes went dull, still staring at him. Severus suspected that he needed the comfort of knowing he was with him. He sat still and leant his presence as Harry needed. He wished Lupin was here. He'd coddle the teen and be done with it, but Harry had come to him and he had to do his best. 

Harry's eyes fluttered and then closed, but even then not all his muscles relaxed. Severus watched him for a moment more. Then he summoned a blanket and draped it over the sleeping teen. He was uncertain as to what would be best, but he was confident that they would get through this. They had come too far to fall now. Determined and grim, Severus stood and strode over to his office. He had research to do.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas opened his eyes and sneered when he saw that he was in Severus's quarters. The sun would be up soon and that meant he had to leave quickly if he were going to escape without a confrontation. He was aware Harry had told Severus that they could hear each other, and while he wasn't pleased, he understood why Harry had done it. Things were getting too tense between them, but Silas planned on correcting the problem on his own.

The corridor was empty, just as he hoped, and there was no call from his teacher to return immediately. Smirking at his successful jail break, he strode silently down the damp dungeon halls. He had a lot to do and the first place he needed to go was the library.

**xXxXxXx**

"Harry? Are ve still going over de egg?"

Harry blinked and smiled at Viktor as the Durmstrang student stood scowling down at him. "Yes, of course." He felt a bit better. The deep sleep had done him good. He had a brief worry about Silas, but he allowed that to pass. He couldn't do anything about the Slytherin right now.

"Dis is good. I have not mastered dis puzzle and could use more help.” Viktor's face relaxed into a smile, feeling safe as he and Harry were the only ones in the library at this early hour.

"It's loud, so we really shouldn't work on it here. How about we go down by the Quidditch pitch?" Harry stood and closed the books Silas had been reading. He glanced at the titles, but there were none and he didn't have time to actually open the books again and try and see what they were about.

Viktor and he walked down to the school grounds, talking quietly. They were both dressed warmly, Harry wearing jeans, his sneakers, a white T-shirt, and a heavy red sweater that Mrs. Weasley had sown for him. He also had on his white winter cloak Severus got him for his thirteenth birthday. Viktor looked much more impressive. His black hair was slicked back and he wore thick black pants, heavy boots, and a black sweater under a heavy red cloak with dark brown fur along the neck and bottom. Harry felt a bit of a mess beside the seventeen year old. He was much shorter and skinnier, and his black hair stuck up messily since he hadn't had time to comb it or anything. This was the first time he had been up, after all.

Harry self-consciously straightened his glasses on his nose and was at least grateful that he was not cold. "So what kind of fur is that?"

"Dis is fur from a magical cat creature called a Roggenwulf. Vey are ferocious wolf-like creatures as large as cows." Viktor grinned at him. "My father, he hunts dis creature."

“Wow. He sounds really strong.”

"He is.” Viktor nodded and gestured to the bleachers around the pitch. "Here?"

"This is good.” Harry shrugged and they climbed up. At least the sky was clear and the sun was bright, even though the December breeze was very cold.

They messed around with the eggs for about four hours. They tried everything they could think of. Throwing them so that they opened with force, casting spells at the eggs to see if there was a spell making the message unintelligible, and many other things. They also talked and laughed and speculated about what the next task would be. Eventually hunger drove them back inside. Their faces were flushed and both were relaxed and happy.

"Harry, I 'ave a question for you," Viktor spoke up when they were coming closer to the castle doors.

"What?" Harry looked over at him.

"Her-mione," the older teen said carefully. "How old is she?"

"She just had her fifteenth birthday," Harry said in confusion, his eyebrows scrunched. Understanding dawned slowly and his face relaxed in a grin. "Why?"

"No reason." Viktor looked away quickly, but Harry still saw the deep blush rising in his friend's cheeks.

"You like her? Are you going to ask her to the ball?" Harry laughed and poked the blushing boy in the ribs.

“Perhaps." Viktor scowled deeply and quickened his pace.

They reached the castle and turned to go separate ways, but Harry had to have the last word. "I think it's great!"

Viktor turned at that and offered a brief smile of relief before he strode stiffly toward the Great Hall to catch the end of breakfast. Harry would have followed him, but he had to find his friends. Sending a spell message to them, he asked them all to meet him in the kitchens. He ran up to his dorm, catching Neville on the way. His brother looked wrung out, but he was moving and followed Harry without much prodding. Harry put up his egg and then jogged with Neville on his heels down to the kitchen. Fred, George, Hermione, and Ron were already waiting.

"Help me carry some food, will ya?" Harry asked of them. "We can take this to the willow. No one will be there and there won't be snow built up since the tree pushes most of it away."

"Sure, mate," Ron shrugged and began pocketing food.

"What's up anyway?" Fred questioned.

"Well, I have to tell you guys about the lessons with Dumbledore and I thought afterward we could study the Animagus transformation. I've kinda let that go lately and need to catch up."

"Have you done your homework?" Hermione questioned as she pushed her hair out of her face. "That comes first, you know."

"I can do that tomorrow," Harry brushed that off. "The five of us don't really get a chance to study all together."

She subsided into grumblings and Harry grinned at her. The five teens made their way out to the Whomping Willow. They ate and listened as Harry described the Pensieve sessions and what they could possibly mean for Harry and the war. Fred and George had a lot to say about them. Hermione and Neville expressed pity for Voldemort and what happened to him and his family, but Fred and George insisted that no matter what was done to him there was no call for his current evil practices. Harry and Ron thought they both had a point and sat between the two sides.

"Dumbledore definitely couldn't have hired him…" George began heatedly.

"…no matter that he wasn't the Dark Lord yet!" Fred continued. "He was already…"

"…a murderer and practitioner of the Darkest Arts."

"You don't know that," Hermione argued. "It wasn't after he was refused a position at Hogwarts that he began gathering his classmates and became a Dark Lord."

"That's not true.” Ron shook his head. "He was already calling himself by his Dark Lord name when he was still going to school here and after he graduated he began gathering his friends as Death Eaters."

"That can't be true.” Hermione scowled. "He went abroad and looked for Dark Arts teachers after graduating. He wouldn't have started collecting Death Eaters until after he learned what he had to know."

"He was always looking to secure a place of power…" Fred slapped his leg for emphasis.

"…that's why he gathered his friends even before learning and even while he was still at Hogwarts. He needed…"

"…people to support him. He just didn't call them Death Eaters…"

"…until after he returned from his teachers," George finished.

"I don't think it really matters when he went evil or when it could have been stopped. The point is, he is evil and he must be stopped.” Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Dumbledore must think that there is something here that can help me defeat him, but for the life of me I don't know what it is. None of this seems like it's important. I can't see a weakness or anything."

"Maybe the fact that he saves stuff," Neville offered. There were dark circles under his eyes, but the fresh air and lively conversation was doing him good. "You said Dumbledore really put a lot of emphasis on that."

"Maybe, but why doesn't Dumbledore just come out and tell me what it is he wants me to know from all this? Why is he making me guess? This is important. If Voldemort has a weakness and I'm just not seeing it, I need to know!" Harry growled.

"He wants you to figure it out on your own," Hermione said doubtfully. "Maybe he will tell you if you still can't figure it out by the end of these lessons."

"I hope so.” Harry got to his feet and stretched. "I'm getting cold. Let's go up to the library and study."

"But it's Saturday!" Ron groaned. "Fred, George, help me talk them into Quidditch!"

"Sorry, little brother…"

"…usually we're all for play over work, but we really…"

"…want to get this right!"

Harry smiled at the two grinning twins. "You're really excited, aren't you?"

"You bet!" they answered together.

"I'm excited as well," Hermione chimed in. "I can't wait to be able to do the potion and find out what my animal is!"

"I think it's grand, too, but it's Saturday!” Ron protested.

"How's the oak tree thing coming along, Neville?" Hermione asked, ignoring Ron's petulant cry.

"Alright," Neville answered with a blush and looked at his feet.

Harry pushed him playfully on the shoulder. Neville smiled at him and Ron muttered angrily as he followed behind them all. The twins took the lead, laughing and tossing animal guesses back and forth.

**xXxXxXx**

Sunday morning, Harry came awake in the library again. He mentally called for Silas. **Come on, Sy! I have to meet Draco soon, and if you don't want me to go, you need to tell me.** But there was no answer. Not even when he tried it out loud.

Upset Harry sighed and did his best to straighten his clothes and flatten his hair before heading for the unused room next to the Potions classroom that Draco insisted was there. It took him a few minutes to find the one Draco was talking about. The blond was waiting impatiently, tapping his foot on the floor. He had cleared a space about twenty feet wide, the old desks and chairs pushed to one side. They were covered in dust and dirt, but the floor was clean where Draco had cleared a space. Obviously, the blond had removed the grime. Harry thought about teasing him for even knowing a cleaning spell, but Draco spoke first.

"About time, Potter," Draco growled as he walked in.

Harry offered him a smile. "Sorry."

The blond sniffed, his mouth set in a thin line. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked Harry up and down. "You need to practice in dress robes since that's what you'll be wearing. I don't think you want to fall on your face when everyone's watching because you're not used to dancing in long robes."

"No, that's not exactly my goal," Harry agreed wryly. "But I don't have long robes."

"Well, you'll have to get some then." Draco rolled his eyes with disdain. He straightened up from the desk he had been leaning his hip against and pulled a pile of robes off the seat behind him. "I brought these for now. They're good enough for practice."

Harry accepted the robes and put them on. They were very nice. The thick, dark blue velvet was surprisingly heavy. He noticed it dragged an inch on the floor as Draco was taller than him. He moved experimentally and frowned. Fighting in something like this would be a nightmare. He just hoped he'd never have to. Hopefully the ball would be disaster free and the hardest thing he would have to do is dance.

"I hope you don't plan to dance like that,” Draco snapped. He came forward and shoved at Harry's shoulders until he was standing correctly. "Relax. You can't move if you're standing as stiff as a board." His mouth slid into a silky smirk. "I'm not going to hex you or anything."

"I know.” Harry narrowed his eyes and consciously tried to loosen up.

"And stop scowling, Potter!" Sighing, Draco took up position in front of the Gryffindor and began to move. "Copy me."

Harry did as he was told, but after a few minutes decided that this was more difficult then he had thought it would be. "Can we have music? That might help."

Draco nodded and swished his wand. Music filled the room and they continued to dance. After completing the steps twice, Draco stopped and ordered Harry to keep going. He turned and watched the brunet go through it alone. It was strange dancing by himself and the gray eyes watching his every move didn't help. He stumbled a few times and Draco would sneer and insult him.

Harry glared hotly. "You're not helping, you know.”

"Potter, I don't think a dance spell would help you!" Draco sat in an old classroom chair with a tired sigh. "There's an hour before lunch. Do you think you could try and make progress before then?"

"There's too many steps and I can't remember to dip and spin my partner when I don't really have one," Harry snapped, equally frustrated.

"Don't even ask, Potter!" Draco glared suspiciously. "I don't even know the girl's steps!"

"I wasn't asking you to dance with me, Draco! Oh, this is ridiculous!" Harry threw up his hands. "I should have known it was impossible to have a truce with you! Silas must be out of his mind to be _your_ friend!"

"Po- _Harry_ , wait."

Angry and embarrassed, Harry turned around prepared to really give the blond hell, but the tension had gone out of Draco’s shoulders and his smile was more open than Harry had ever seen it, though it was still small. Harry frowned deeply, wondering what had caused the change, but he knew better than to ask. Draco was the most defensive person he knew besides Silas.

"Let's just practice a few minutes more.” Draco stood and turned his back. "Follow me a couple more times."

Harry didn't move, but the Slytherin Prince was already dancing. His movements were graceful and smooth, as if he were deciding as he went how to move instead of making it seem like the dance was memorized. He really was good. Harry sighed and fell in behind him. Surely he could learn to dance if Draco Malfoy could!

**xXxXxXx**

Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Ron were working on their homework after lunch in the Gryffindor common room. Harry had a lot to make up for and every time he finished something he had to groan as he saw the pile that was left. Hermione tried not to be smug about being right that homework should have come first yesterday, but he knew what she was thinking and scowled at her. His temper wasn't helped when Ron would complain loudly every half hour or so. That was all forgotten when Harry heard a soft crack and looked up to see Omi gesturing him toward the portrait hole.

"Shite!" Harry jumped up, making his friends stare. "I completely forgot! Neville, didn't we have a meeting with Professor Lupin today?"

"Wha-" Neville blinked in confusion.

"Yeah, that meeting he said we couldn't miss. He said he had something he needed to talk to us about, remember?" Harry said as casually as he could while still trying to convey to Neville that he wanted him to come and for their friends not to follow.

"Oh… yeah…" Neville stood and Harry smiled at him. The chubby Gryffindor smiled back in relief for having understood correctly.

"You two aren't nearly done!" Hermione protested. "Especially you, Harry!"

"We'll be right back. Why don't you two take a break while we're gone? Get a snack or a drink or something.” Harry smiled and made his way to the portrait hole.

"That sounds like a brilliant idea," Ron sighed and half-stood.

"Not so fast!" Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him sharply back into his seat. "Finish that essay first, you're almost done!"

Harry didn't hear what his furious friend replied to such a demand as the Fat Lady swung closed. He grinned, proud of this successful get away and bursting with excitement. Neville's new teacher was here! At least, that's what he thought Omi coming back meant. Neville opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but Omi popped in front of them.

"I found the perfect teacher, sirs!" Omi cried happily. "I sorry I be taking so long, young Harry and Neville sirs. I had to convince them to comes."

"That's perfectly fine, Omi," Harry reassured with a bright smile. "Do Severus and Remus know?"

"Yes, sir. They be waiting in the courtyard where young Neville usually be getting his lessons."

"Alright, thanks, Omi! Tell them we're on our way."

The elf nodded and disappeared with a soft sound. Neville kept pace with Harry and tentatively asked what was going on. Harry turned and flashed him a huge smile.

"We know you've been having lots of trouble with the Earth magic, Nev, so we tried to think of a better teacher than Rowena to help you. We didn't want to say anything to get your hopes up without being sure Omi could find you a new teacher."

"Who's we?" Neville bit his lip. "I thought I told you not to tell."

"Severus, Remus, and I," Harry admitted. He stopped and pulled Neville in front of him. "Nev, I was so worried. I love you so much and I knew… I knew I was losing you. I didn't know what to do. You needed help and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't keep quiet." He studied Neville's shadowed face. "Are you mad at me? I just wanted to help. We want you to get better."

"I understand." Neville looked up and his face was pale and tight, but there was no anger there. "Really, I do. I'd probably do the same for you."

"Thanks, brother," Harry said softly and then turned quickly to continue down toward the courtyard. "Come on! Maybe this teacher will make everything better!"

"I doubt it," Neville muttered, but Harry didn't hear him. Sighing, he followed after his brother and tried to control the growing fear. He’d thought he had until Thursday before facing the Earth. He shuddered and wished with all his heart that Harry hadn't done this.

**xXxXxXx**

The courtyard was covered in a thick blanket of snow. Only the paths were clear and that was due to magic. It was very barren, but Severus found it to be a rather peaceful place. He liked the stillness and the way the snow muted sound. In fact, he would rather enjoy standing in the winter sun if it weren't for the reason they were out here in the first place.

Omi had finally returned with a teacher, and the elf hadn't returned too soon. Neville was slipping further away from them with every day that passed. Each Thursday it was a harder and harder battle for Neville to return to his mortal shell. Rowena had told him that she didn't think Neville would make it to the Winter Solstice. Therefore, he was justifiably disappointed with the teacher Omi had brought.

Madigan Flitwick was Professor Flitwick's younger sister. She had silver white hair that flowed to the ground, standing only at three and a half feet tall. Her face was wrinkled delicately and her large blue eyes made Severus think of a house-elf. Her nose was long and pointed with two bumps in it, and her fingers were like twigs. She wore a witch's robe of lilac, but it was obvious by the way she picked at it that it wasn't at all what she was used to wearing. Like Professor Flitwick, she had an easy smile and talked in a quick high voice. It was soft and beautiful, but what could this creature really do to help?

Remus had no such doubts only because he couldn't afford them. He was wearing himself thin with worry for the boy he had come to love. Neville's life meant more to him than he could say. The wolf in him had claimed the awkward boy as his pack and he really didn't think he could handle the death of the cub, so he had to believe that Madigan could and would help them.

The boys entered the courtyard and Harry had to literally pull Neville forward. He looked over the small old woman and came to a stop. Neville looked around him and seemed to sigh in relief, having expected a horrible monster who would push him deeper and deeper and tell him it's alright while he drowned and died.

Rowena formed at Neville's back and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I sense great power and also great kindness in her. I believe you will do well together."

Neville flinched away from the phantom and nodded jerkily.

"Greetings, Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter," the old woman smiled sweetly. "I am Madigan Flitwick, your Professor's little sister. Please call me Maddie."

"Maddie, do you think you can help Neville?" Harry asked hopefully, his green eyes bright behind his glasses.

"I hope so." Her blue eyes pinned themselves to the youth in question. "Do you want my help, young man?"

Neville said nothing.

"Don't be afraid, Nev. Madigan is very nice," Remus coaxed.

"I don't want to!" the boy yelled suddenly. "I don't want to go into the Earth anymore! Why can't you all just leave me alone?"

"Oh, child." Madigan shook her head and looked down at the soil at her feet. "I can see you are in pain. I can see the weight of the Earth is crushing you. It doesn't have to be so."

"Nev," Harry pleaded, clinging to his brother's hand. "Please, give it one more try."

"Why?" Neville demanded, eyes hard, sharp tears falling from them.

"Because you can't shut off the connection now," Rowena answered sorrowfully. "If you push it away, it will eventually rise up and drag you back under."

"You think I have control when I go anyway?" Neville laughed bitterly and it was a dark ugly sound.

"Longbottom, I realize you are suffering, but you are pushing away the only cure you have. Do you wish to die?" the Potion Master snapped.

"Severus!" Remus gasped.

"Do you, Mr. Longbottom?" Severus pressed.

"No," Neville breathed. "Though… Sometimes… Sometimes I do want to die."

"Nev…" Harry sighed, tears burning his eyes.

Neville pulled away from everyone, his arms tightly across his chest. His brown hair was longer now and fell into his eyes. He shook his bangs away impatiently and stared imploringly at his brother and mentor. "I… I just… I want it to be over… I really want it to be over.” He fell to his knees, shaking and gasping, but his despair was too much for tears. 

Harry and Remus dropped to their knees at his side and wrapped him in their arms. Neville leaned into them and shut his eyes tight, hoping everything else would just go away if he wished for it hard enough. 

Madigan watched all this with solemn eyes. She waited patiently for the teen to calm. It took almost half an hour, but Neville was soon standing again. Remus stood at his back, his eyes flashing gold in a display of protectiveness. Harry held his hand, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

"It's over, child.” She smiled sadly. "You will know joy in what you are. Come. Let me release you from these chains you have forged."

Neville hesitated, but he took a step forward. His body language screamed that he didn't believe for a second that the Earth could ever be anything but his death. He was resigned and hopeless. Remus took a step after him, but Madigan raised a long-fingered hand. 

"No," she said. "I must do this with him alone. I request that you all leave. He will return to you in the morning. I will want to see him every night."

"Am I allowed to watch if my presence is undetectable?" Rowena asked. "I will be able to fetch the others if something goes wrong."

Madigan looked to refuse, but then she saw the deeply unhappy expressions on Remus and Harry’s faces. She realized they were his family, and family cares for each other. She inclined her head, granting permission and the phantom disappeared. 

Severus grabbed Harry's arm and guided him back into the school. It took one of his fiercest glares to get Remus moving.

"Is this wise?" the werewolf fretted.

"If you want Longbottom well, you will put aside your own worries and fears," Severus drawled. He turned his attention to the teen at his side, twisting his hands worriedly in front of him. "Do not even think of using your empathy. Neville needs to do this on his own. In any case, you need to be doing something else at the present time. I believe we have much to discuss."

"Now?" Harry asked. "What about Nev?"

"He will be here all night. We can do nothing but wait, however something can be done for you. Come." Severus turned and strode down the hall, confident Harry would follow.

“Go." Remus smiled at the teen. "Neville would want you to."

Harry nodded and ran after his teacher.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus settled Harry onto the couch in his quarters. The teen was nervous but hopeful. Severus decided to start out small. "Have you heard from Silas since you spoke to me Friday?"

"No, sir.” Harry shook his head. "He hasn't said anything."

"Do you feel better?" Severus asked carefully, his black eyes watchful, his body still.

"A little," Harry admitted, but his face darkened predictably. "But I want to talk to him!"

"Harry, you can already feel relief. You know his silence is important. It makes you forget he's there as a separate part of you. When he's talking, it makes you see him as a different person and Silas is not different. He is you."

"I know that!" Harry snapped.

"I believe his silence means he recognizes this problem as well. I believe he will not talk to you bar an emergency," Severus stated plainly.

"That's not fair!" Harry jumped to his feet angrily. "I am here to help him as much as he is here to help me! How can I do that if I never see, feel, or hear him?"

"Your mere existence helps him," Severus answered, unperturbed by Harry's violent reaction. "That is all the help you can give. He is not your friend or confidant; you cannot help him heal his mental wounds. That falls to me or anyone else he can bear to trust."

"Silas doesn't trust anyone! Not with all the truth!" Harry argued. "He needs me!"

"You are him!" Severus finally yelled. It shocked Harry so much that the teen sat with wide eyes. "You help him by giving him time before he has to face the world and live in it day to day. That is your help. He is you. He is living through your eyes. That is what you give him. He must learn to reach out to others to gain help and become healthy. You do not count. You do not help by insisting on a friendship with him."

"You don't know everything.” Harry glared hotly, his temper rising again. "You don't! And you don't know Silas as well as you think you do. He needs Gabriel more than you know."

"Then tell me what else I don't know," Severus invited.

**Don't you dare tell him about the visions I get through Demon,** Silas said coldly. It was the first time the Slytherin had spoken to him since Friday.

Harry flushed. **I wouldn't! I swore not to tell! Don't you trust me?**

There was no answer.

Severus had to hide a smirk when his invitation made Harry back off. He was well aware that the boy was hiding more things from him, that _Silas_ was hiding things from him, but that would have to wait. Whatever it was, it couldn't be more important than reconciling the Host and the Core. 

"Well, Harry? Tell me."

"I can't." Harry crossed his arms tightly over his chest and stared petulantly at the fire. "You wouldn't understand, anyway, obviously."

"Don't doubt me, Harry," Severus said softly, capturing the boy's attention and eyes once again. "I know the consequences of your current path. It is not pretty. A complete breakdown or forcing Silas under so much pressure that he creates another alter, fracturing himself even smaller. That is where you are headed. Is that what you want?"

Harry scowled. "Of course not.”

"The best thing you can do for Silas is be his Host not his friend."

Harry jumped to his feet, red in the face with frustration and helplessness. "You're asking me to act like he's not even there! How can I do that? You tell me! I know he's there and I know he needs help! I can't just forget or pretend he's not here! Why can't I talk to him if I promise to remember he is me?"

"It won't work," Severus answered with a sneer. "You know why. You're making this more difficult than it has to be. I explained why you should refrain from such communication and you did not listen. Now you are suffering the pain of the separation that _you_ caused and are yelling at _me_ as if I'm the one at fault. You insist you will not fix it, that in fact you will continue to make the problem worse. Frankly, you are behaving like a spoiled child."

"I…" Harry fell back onto the couch and put his head into his hands. "I… don't mean to hurt him… I just…"

"I am aware of your feelings, but now we must correct this problem before you two do more damage to yourself," Severus said firmly as he stared at the squirming and miserable boy in front of him. "Are you going to help or not?"

"Help," Harry said weakly, fretfully.

“Good." Severus leaned back and pressed his hands together. "So you will not try and contact Silas or talk to him?"

Harry shook his head, but he was still unhappy to do so.

"I would like to speak to him," Severus said with a blank face, giving no hint of what he would say to the Core.

"How?" Harry shrugged.

"Just go to sleep. Afterward I will wake you up and we will spar. Then you will play the piano. You need to relieve some of this stress before you do yourself harm."

Harry smiled weakly. "Alright."

Severus smiled back, a mere quirk of his lips, but Harry knew that to be the same as a hug from this man. Reassured, Harry settled back into the couch and closed his eyes.

Silas sat up and raised a mocking eyebrow. "You rang?"

"I what?" Severus blinked, confused.

"What do you want?" Silas translated with a sigh.

"How do you feel?" Severus asked in return, eyes dark and hard.

"I am better," Silas answered nonchalantly. "I realize I overstepped myself and it was causing trouble. That won't happen again."

"On the contrary, I think in a way this development is a good sign," Severus argued. "I think it means you are almost ready to merge and accept the duties of Host and Core."

"No," Silas answered coldly, meeting his mentor's eyes. "I will not merge."

"Why?" Severus shifted in his chair to cross his legs.

Silas rolled his eyes. "First of all, someone needs to be in here and aware to control the transitions between the alters."

"You haven't been needed in that position since Gabriel merged," Severus countered easily.

Silas glared. "Second, the fewer alters there are the closer to the surface Demon becomes. I need to be here to keep him in should he try to get out. We still don't have a solution for that. But most importantly, I don't want to."

"Why don't you want to?" Severus smirked.

Silas didn't answer. "If you'll excuse me, I have things to do." He stood and made his way to the door.

"I wonder at your assumptions that you wouldn't be able to act with the same authority once you merge with your Host," Severus thought out loud. "I would have thought you would hold the same power once you combine. You don't lose anything as you merge. You become greater and more, not less. As for not wanting to, that is something that must be addressed."

"No, it doesn't," Silas argued, glaring hotly with his wand in his hand. The door was locked. He hated being trapped.

"It does, but not until you are ready," Severus conceded. "Come play a game of chess. Then we can let Harry have his lessons." He stood and made his way to the board without waiting for a reply.

Silas considered refusing, but he decided capitulating would gain him more in the long run than defiance. He took his seat and they started. It wasn't long, however, until Severus spoke. The sneaky bastard had been waiting, Silas knew, to drop his question until he was losing the game to his student.

"What are your nightmares about?"

Silas tensed and ignored the annoying git, determined to press his advantage and corner the man's rook.

"Lockhart?"

Breaking his eyes from the board, Silas stared into his mentor's face, allowing him to see the rush of cold rage in his face. "Do not speak of what you do not know. Is that not what you told me at the end of third year?"

"That is why I am asking. So that I can know." Severus moved his knight.

Silas sneered with heartfelt disgust at his teacher. He fell back and Harry came blinking to the fore. With a huge yawn, he looked up at his mentor and asked worriedly, "Is Sy alright?"

"He will be fine. He is strong," Severus answered easily. "To your feet."

Harry jumped up and eagerly followed Severus into the dueling room. 

His teacher was right when he said he needed to work off some stress. As he fought the purely physical duel with his hands, feet, and daggers, slowly stress eased from his muscles. Worry about Neville, Silas, and the homework he had been neglecting all fell away and he existed purely in the moment, purely in motion. Strangely, he found himself thinking of the dance lesson with Draco and understood what the blond had been trying to convey. He had been thinking too much. He needed to just move. 

Grinning, Harry danced.

**Chapter end. _Please comment!_**


	40. Christmas and Reconciliation

**Christmas Spirit and Reconciliation**

The last week of the Fall term was spent mostly in play. Everyone was too excited about the tournament, Christmas, and the Yule Ball. Most of their teachers didn't even try to keep their attention. They just gave them busy work and hoped the week would go fast. On Wednesday, Professor Flitwick even went so far as to let the class play any game they wanted. Of course, Harry wasn't that lucky.

"Harry? Can I have a word with you about your last essay?"

Harry groaned, making Hermione give him a reprimanding look and Ron flash him a grimace of sympathy. He shook his head ruefully and tried to school his face into something respectable. After all, Flitwick's sister had Neville's life in her hands and Harry wasn't about to piss off her older brother and jeopardize Neville.

"How are you, Harry?" Flitwick smiled up at him. He fluttered papers in front of him, but they weren't Harry's essay. "I didn't really call you up here to discuss your essay. It was good, by the way. Could have used more thought, but it was coherent and accurate. Anyway, I really wanted to ask you how Neville's doing? I know of his condition of course, but Mad Again won't tell me a thing!"

Harry snickered at Flitwick's nickname for his sister. "Actually, Neville won't talk about their lessons, either, but I can tell you they're working. He doesn't seem near as miserable and he's actually engaging in homework and games and stuff with our friends. He's not so distant." Harry ran his hand through his hair and glanced back at the chubby boy in question. "But he still doesn't look forward to the lessons. She's making him come twice a week isn't she? Tuesdays and Thursdays?"

"I believe so," Flitwick murmured. "She told me that Neville will pull through, that he is a wonder and very talented, but I was still worried. Mad Again has always been known for being too optimistic. Her predictions tend toward exaggeration."

Harry nodded in understanding. "Things are better, not great or perfect, but better."

"Hopefully things will continue to improve." Flitwick sighed and shifted his papers again.

"Professor? Can I ask…?"

"About my sister? Go ahead," the little man smiled. He had a wrinkled face, a very long nose, and silver hair. His brown eyes were kind and happy.

"Well, how come she knows how to work with Earth magic?"

Flitwick smiled slyly. "Most dwarfs work Earth magic naturally.”

"Dwarf? I've never…"

"We're pretty reclusive and secretive. I am the exception of course." Flitwick laughed. "We live in cities tunneled underground. Mad Again would never have come if there wasn't a young one in need. She's actually one of the most powerful and talented Earth workers we have."

"But… I thought you were a wizard…" Harry tilted his head curiously.

"I am.” Flitwick nodded several times. "I am a mutant. I was born with Wizarding magic and not the magic of my people. There are a few of us and we keep our people in tune with what's happening on the surface."

“Wow." Harry stared at his teacher with new eyes. "I guess that means you're really important."

"We're all important, Harry.” Flitwick patted his hand. "Why don't you go play with your friends? Class is almost over."

**xXxXxXx**

The rest of the week passed in a blur. Silas never spoke to him. Whenever Harry got upset or lonely, he would go down to talk to Severus. He usually ended up either sparing with his mentor or playing his piano. They talked about the Flitwicks and Severus said he had only heard of dwarfs in fairytales, but that he would do some research on the matter.

Harry merely shrugged. He didn't really need to know about dwarfs. He trusted his professor and even trusted Madigan. The old woman was very kind and sweet, she would never hurt Neville. And she really was helping. They no longer feared Neville would die. The teen was going to make it through this.

As for Silas, the alter came out every night to do his own studying. He was researching mental links and bonds. He wanted to know how far these vision things of Voldemort would go. Would the Dark Lord be able to look out through Demon's eyes? He also wanted to understand Demon better.

He didn't miss talking to Harry. In fact, he felt much more balanced with the silence. It put things back into perspective. He wasn't competing against his Host. They were the same unit, but Silas didn't want to merge, so he reevaluated his motives and released claim to things like being involved in the Tasks and dealing with Neville. Silas's purpose was to observe and plot. He would keep his eyes open for subtle plots against Harry, like keeping an eye on the headmaster and watching out for the person who put their name in the Goblet of Fire. He had plenty to do and had been neglecting many of his duties while being caught up in the everyday drama that Harry dealt with. 

Slowly, his stress and nightmares left him and Silas took comfort in the shadows once more. He met Draco once a week, and though he knew the blond sensed him emotionally withdrawing, Draco didn't ask about it. Silas also spent some time with Boy.

The oldest alter would come to him whenever he was in his soul room now. He'd huddle under the bed on bad days (and there were more of those than not) or on a good day he would curl up on Silas's bed. He wouldn't talk much, and if Silas gave him attention for too long, the alter would begin to tremble and whine like a beaten dog, but that was nothing compared to what could happen.

On the very worst day, Silas had to endure watching the five-year-old have a flashback. The child had arched, begging as his back split open with ragged lashes. His screams were all the more horrible because the broken child had tried so desperately to silence them. Silas could barely watch and as rage and hate rose in his throat like bile and Demon's chilling laugh had echoed through the air. 

Silas had smiled grimly and promised the psychotic alter that if they ever saw the Dursleys again, he could go Out and do as he pleased. He could have sworn that he had heard Demon moan in pleasure at that, and Silas had eyed his locked stone door warily.

**xXxXxXx**

A near silent pop sounded right near Harry and he sat up with a gasp, his wand at the ready and his other arm up to block any blows coming toward his head. His sleep filled eyes quickly settled on the figure crouched at the end of his bed. Eyes narrowed he whispered a Lumos. 

"What the…?" Harry scowled at the unfamiliar house-elf staring at him with green tennis ball eyes, wringing his hands fretfully. He felt a tug in his mind a second before he began to slip backward into unconsciousness. "Hey… wait…"

"Sorry but can't." Silas shook his head hard once and smirked. His arms lowered and he looked over at the baffled elf. His eyes narrowed and he snapped, "Well?"

"Harry Potter sir? Is you well?" the elf asked with worried eyes.

"I'm fine. Why are you here?" Silas twirled his wand in his hand threateningly and the elf cowered. Silas rolled his eyes. He shoved his wand next to him and crossed his arms. "Oh stop it. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yes sir.” Dobby straightened and pulled at his many shirts nervously. "You told me sir to come and tell you anything Winky does suspicious. Winky never be asking for stuff, sir, but yesterday Winky asks to be assigned the chore to go into the Forbidden Forest and gather herbs and ingredients, sir. I told her no and she asked if she could go tomorrow, that is to say tonight instead. I's not have a reason to deny her a second time without making the other elves upset, sir, so I told her it was okay. That's suspicious, isn't it, Harry Potter sir?"

"Very," Silas said thoughtfully. He looked at the little elf and saw how nervous he was. Silas couldn't have that. He might need the creature later after all, so he offered a cool smile and said, "Thank you very much Dobby. You are being very brave and you're saving me from a very big threat."

"Oh, yes sir. Thank you, sir!" Dobby cried tearfully.

"Go on and keep me informed," Silas ordered and the elf nodded frantically before disappearing.

"Harry? Wha's that?" came a sleepy voice from across the room.

"What?" Harry blinked in confusion. He was alone in his bed again. "Oh… Nothing! Go back to sleep." Then he turned his attention inward. **Sy? What's going on? What are you up to?** Of course, there was no answer. Harry sighed and rubbed his hands across his face tiredly.

"No way," Seamus said more clearly. "It's Christmas! Let's go open presents!"

"Someone say presents?" Dean murmured groggily.

"Look at this stuff!" Ron cried excitedly.

Harry opened his curtains to see five large piles of presents at the end of each of their beds. He looked across at Neville and grinned. His brother smiled back and the five teens dug happily into their gifts. Harry had gotten his brother some rare seeds, Severus some very high quality hot chocolate mix, Remus a new coat, and Sirius a large packet of food. As for his friends, he got Ron Quidditch tickets to see his favorite team this summer, Hermione a book on famous Animagi, Hagrid a fossilized dragon egg, and Fred and George got a book on the Marauders that Moony helped him with.

From his family, Harry found a beautiful obsidian hilt dagger and black obsidian chess pieces from Severus, and a folder of more sheet music from Neville. Remus got him a practice Snitch, and Sirius gave him a penknife spelled to unlock any lock and undo any knot. From his friends, Harry received a sack of dungbombs from Ron, Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland from Hermione, the twins got him a bag full of pranks to use as he pleased, Hagrid gave him a sack of sweets, and Mrs. Weasley sent him a homemade knitted green sweater with a Horntail dragon on it and some mince pies.

Overall, he got more presents than he ever had before and he realized it was because more people cared about him than ever before. A smile slowly bloomed across his face, and for the first time, he thought he might understand why everyone loved Christmas so much. Neville looked as shocked and happy as he did and they laughed together. Seamus and Dean shared a look before hitting them both with pillows. A huge pillow fight ensued.

The teens were still too full of energy and they tumbled down to the common room and challenged everyone there to a snowball war. The challenge was eagerly accepted and most of Gryffindor Tower tromped outside and into the snow. They picked up students from the other Houses and schools as they went. By the time they got outside, there were over a hundred kids wanting in on the game.

**xXxXxXx**

The Hogwarts’ staff had gone above and beyond when they decorated the Great Hall that afternoon. The walls were transfigured into crystal, deep and perfect and absolutely breathtaking. The floating candles were turned into icicles of all different sizes and lengths that reflected the thousand gentle fiery lights into a rainbow of pastel colors. The four House tables had been dismembered and turned into two dozen round tables covered in the softest white silk. All the plates and goblets and utensils sparkled, made out of a precious white gold/platinum mix, but the most impressive feet was the ceiling.

Usually the Great Hall perfectly reflected the sky above, but tonight it had been altered to magnify the heavens. The stars were twice their normal size. As big as apples, the stars twinkled and filled the room with crystalline light. The crescent moon alone took up almost a quarter of the ceiling. Looking up, it almost felt like you could reach out and touch it. It was surreal, like you were walking through a fragile dream. All the students dressed in their best, wearing gowns of beautiful colors and dress robes that made the boys stand straighter and move with more grace than the teens usually would, it reinforced the illusion of a magical fairy court, a majestic Winter Queen's favorite ball room.

Harry stood outside the Great Hall doors. He stood with all the other Champions, watching as the students glided past with bright excited eyes. Parvati Patil stood beside him. The Indian girl looked gorgeous. Her light coffee-colored skin almost glowed with a soft golden light, strangely complemented by the vivid pink gown she wore.

It wrapped around her in layers, small crystal beads dangling here and there, making her chime faintly when she walked. Her feet were covered in soft velvet sandals. Harry could catch a peak at gold toe rings and pink toenails occasionally when she walked. Her almond shaped eyes were outlined in black, a soft pink glitter brushing across her eyelids, and her long, silky hair hung to her waist in black waves. Beads of crystal were strung throughout it, held in magically, and made Parvati's hair look like it was wet and they were just dew drops.

He was very glad he had asked her to the ball last week. He was tired of Ron pushing him to ask someone and complaining that they had no one and had taken Fred's bold move as an example. With a shrug, he stood and strode across the common room to their year mate. She looked up with wide eyes and a giggle on her lips. Luckily, she had agreed to bring her sister for Ron.

Padma looked as beautiful as her sister. A perfect reflection in fact, except she wore a soft and bright orange that reminded Harry of a perfect sunset or a small, calm fire. Ron's mouth had dropped in surprise and he had turned a bright red. Harry laughed at him and that made the redhead snap out of it. He had offered his arm and guided Padma inside.

Ron, himself, didn't look half bad. The robes Molly had sent him had been hideous. Even Harry had winced when he had seen them, so he had asked Severus to help him get his friend robes when they ordered his from a rental place. Severus had reluctantly agreed, not caring for the redhead at all, but Harry had to admit that his mentor hadn't let him down. Severus had ordered the lanky teen dress robes the color of the deep ocean. The blue brought out Ron’s eyes and made his hair color look rich instead of painfully bright.

As for Harry, his robes were blacker than anything he had ever seen before. It was like wearing the night itself. They made him look taller, older. He flashed a grin toward his date, knowing his green eyes were flashing, no longer hidden behind his glasses. Hermione had charmed his eyesight perfect and helped him spell his hair tame as much as possible. She had blushed and giggled (which she never did, so Harry knew she wasn't lying when she said he looked very dashing).

Speaking of… Harry smiled happily as he saw Hermione come down the stairs and accept Viktor's arm with a warm blush to her cheeks. She wore a beautiful sleeveless gown of a soft blue. It whisped about like fog yet hung on her maturing frame very attractively. Her make-up was subtle and beautifully done, but it was her hair that was the most shocking. Instead of a wild, bushy frizz of brown that fell just beneath her shoulders, her hair was sleek and glossy, falling in gorgeous ringlets to mid-back. Viktor took her arm and swelled out his chest in obvious pride and Hermione blushed again, her eyes bright with pleasure.

"You look awesome, Hermione," Harry complimented her.

“Thanks." She laughed nervously. "I've been treating my hair with this special stuff for three days to get it to look like this."

"It is beaut-full, Her-mine-knee,” Viktor rumbled and covered her hand with his own. She blushed hotter and Harry laughed.

Neville walked by next. He wore a tailored black robe with a pristine white undershirt. On his arm was Ginny Weasley. She wore a dress of ruby red, her hair held up in a bun with pearls strung throughout. Her lips were as red as her dress and her eyes were done with orange and blue. She looked, ironically enough, like a fire elemental come to life. She was perfect for Neville. Harry's eyes lit up with happiness at the flushed look of excitement and nervousness on his brother's face. Neville really was returning more and more to himself. He was very much alive and Harry felt tears of relief burn the back of his eyes as he watched him clumsily lead Ginny into the Great Hall.

"You look great, Nev," he called.

His brother smiled and waved as Ginny tugged him excitedly over to a table of her choice.

Fleur arrived with the Ravenclaw seeker, Roger Davis. They looked beautiful together. Fleur in a white dress that reminded Harry of angel feathers, her charm making her almost glow with beauty. Roger complimented her with his dark skin and black robes. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and couldn't even string a full sentence together. Cedric arrived wearing white and gold dress robes. Anyone else would have looked obnoxious in them, but Cedric actually looked like some charming knight in shining armor. Cho Chang was on his arm and wore deep purples, orchids in her hair.

"Are you ready to make your entrance?" Professor McGonagall asked. She wore a very modest maroon dress and her hair was still up in a bun. She looked very elegant.

The four champions nodded and their dates straightened, almost humming with nerves. Harry smiled at Parvati and she returned the gesture, her hand holding tightly to his arm. McGonagall nodded and opened the Great Hall doors. The champions walked slowly to the table at the end of the aisle set aside just for them and right in front of the Head Table.

Dumbledore wore robes of white, pale blue, and soft purple. He stood and began clapping. Everyone followed his lead. The judges were at the Head Table as well as all the teachers, two reporters, and three cameramen, who had stood and were taking pictures instead of clapping. Harry pulled out a seat next to him for Parvati and she sat in it gracefully. Harry took his own seat and soon the clapping died.

"Thank you for coming," Dumbledore spoke, looking proudly over everyone. "You all look fabulous. I can't remember a time that took my breath away as much as you all did tonight. In that spirit, Happy Christmas, and I hope you enjoy the feast that has been prepared for you. Just speak to your plate what you wish from the menus at the center of your table and it will appear. When the meal is finished, the Champions will lead us in a dance and the real fun can begin. Enjoy!"

"Isn't this spectacular?" Hermione asked.

"Wonderful, yes.” Viktor smiled and put his arm around her shoulders. Hermione flushed and said nothing more.

Fleur and Parvati began a quiet conversation about fashion while Harry joined the Quidditch discussion going on between Cho, Cedric, and Roger. The food was delicious, the plate offering up five courses. The champions and their partners finished sooner than most, having fewer people at their table than the others and were just talking and laughing to pass the time. Someone cleared their voice and Harry looked up to see Percy Weasley standing beside him.

"Hello, Harry," the redhead said as if Harry were the one to approach him and he was bestowing a favor.

Harry grinned and played along. "Hello, Percy. How very nice to see you."

"I bet you are surprised I'm here." Percy straightened his gray robes and stood taller. "I've been promoted to Mr. Crouch's personal assistant. When he got ill, he asked me to take his place tonight."

"He's sick?" Harry asked with a frown. He remembered Silas's suspicions about the man and wondered if this was important. He bit his lip, really wishing Sy would talk to him again.

"Oh, yes!" Ludo cried excitedly, moping at his sweating forehead. He wore horrible purple robes with yellow stars on it. "Poor Crouch… This tournament has knocked something out of him for sure, what with the attack on the World Cup and all. Hit him hard, but I dare say he'll be back soon. He better be, he's the best translator we have!"

Percy opened his mouth, no doubt to give a very long speech about how wonderful Mr. Crouch was, when Dumbledore stood up and waved his wand. 

Slowly, the tables in the middle of the room disappeared and the students hurried to the edges of the room. A raised platform of ice lifted in the middle of the now clear dance floor, and with a violent yank, the band the Weird Sisters flung off their invisibility cloaks and stood in gruesome costumes of ripped dress robes and artificial frostbite. All the students were cheering wildly, some girls were screaming and looked ready to faint. Harry was glad Parvati wasn't one of them, though she looked like she might start drooling any minute.

The champions all stood with their partners. Percy and Bagman returned to their seats, allowing Harry and Parvati to pass. As he led his date onto the floor and the Weird Sisters started up a low, mournful tune, Harry caught Draco's eye. 

The blond was in black robes outlined in silver. They had a high collar and beside him was a very pretty Pansy Parkinson in a pale pink gown. Harry flashed a lopsided grin and the blond sneered in return.

Chuckling, Harry took Parvati into his arms and began the waltz that Draco had taught him. Parvati's eyes widened in happy surprise and she melted into his lead seamlessly. Harry was laughing by the end of the song and Parvati was grinning like a loon. This was _much_ more fun than he thought it would be.

The band ended the song and instantly went into a much more upbeat tune that bordered on rock. An excited cheer went up from the crowd and instantly the champions weren't the only ones on the dance floor. Harry caught sight of a flushed Hermione and Viktor and waved. Neville was being led through the dance by a laughing Ginny, and Fred and George were dancing around Angelina as if she were the sun and they were her moons. One minute she would be in the arms of one and then she was in the arms of the other. It was surprisingly natural looking, but everyone was giving them plenty of space, afraid of being struck by one of the six flailing arms.

Harry danced with Parvati. It was the most fun he could ever remember having and the Weird Sisters were pretty good. It wasn't until after the third song that Harry caught sight of Ron sitting at one of the tables alone with a scowling Padma next to him. Worried, Harry made his way over. Parvati promised to follow after she got them some drinks.

"How's it going?" he smiled and took the open seat by his friend.

Padma sniffed and rolled her eyes. Ron didn't answer. He was too busy glaring. Harry turned his head and followed his line of sight. Immediately he saw Hermione laughing and dancing with Viktor, both of them often coming close so they could hear each other speak. Before Harry could ask what was wrong, Parvati arrived with four butterbeers. Harry accepted two with a smile and shoved Ron in the shoulder. The redhead scowled at him but took the drink. The song ended and Hermione caught sight of them. She said something to Viktor and walked over, a swish in her hips and a happy bounce in her step. She sat down at the next table so she could face her friends.

She smiled and fanned herself with a hand. "It's hot, isn't it? Viktor went to get us drinks."

Ron's face went red and his eyes narrowed. "Viktor? Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"

Harry stared at their friend in surprise while Hermione frowned and asked, "What's up with you?"

"He's from Durmstrang," Ron said scathingly. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You - you're -" Ron waved wildly, obviously looking for strong enough words to describe his anger. Harry's eyes were narrowing and Hermione looked like she had been struck. " _You're fraternizing with the enemy_ , that's what you're doing!"

"Ron! You're being a bloody prat again," Harry growled and shoved his friend hard to get his attention. "The enemy? Who the hell do you think you are? If I had a problem with it, I would have said something myself. And you had no problem idolizing Krum until now. You have a model of him in our dorm room for God's sake!"

Ron ignored this and turned back to Hermione. "I suppose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?"

"Yes, he did," she answered hotly. "So what?"

"He's just trying to find out information about Harry or get information to help him through the tasks!" Ron accused.

"I'd _never_ help him work on the egg!" she yelled furiously and jumped to her feet. "And I'll have you know he's never _once_ asked about Harry!" With that she stormed away.

"He wouldn't have to ask her about me," Harry growled, disgusted. Ron was his friend, but sometimes he was so stupid and pigheaded that Harry just wanted to punch him and never see him again. "I talk to him enough on my own. He's a friend of mine. Which you already knew, actually.”

Ron gaped at him, sputtering.

"You're such an ass." Harry stood and grabbed Parvati's hand. "Come on, Padma. He's obviously not interested in having a good time. Let's go find you a better date." 

The twins stood and happily walked away from the table. 

Harry followed, but turned back to his friend. Ron was sitting with a very hurt look on his face. "If you didn't want Hermione to come with someone else, you should have asked her yourself. You're a Gryffindor. You should have been brave. Instead you acted like a jerk, accusing her of being a bad friend just to cover up your jealousy. Are you sure you're not a Slytherin?"

Ron turned purple, but Harry didn't wait to hear what he had to say. He turned and left him alone. He found Neville and Ginny standing at the edge of the dance floor by a table before he found either Hermione or the twins. He stopped and felt his bad mood disappear. Neville was laughing, his voice light and his eyes clear. Ginny was grinning up at him impishly.

"What are you two up to?" Harry laughed, stepping up next to them.

“Nothing." Ginny smiled sweetly, interlocking her arm with her date's. "I'm just coaxing Neville into dancing with me again."

"She's threatening me, Harry!" Neville said with mock horror.

"Would I do that?" Ginny batted her eyes. "Neville here thinks he's a horrible dance, but I beg to differ. And I hate begging. So if I did happen to threaten him with charming his shoes to dance forever whether he's in them or not, it would be his fault."

Harry laughed again. "Looks like you're outmaneuvered, Nev. I'd give her what she wants."

"I guess I'll have to.” Neville smiled. "Where is your date?"

"Around with her sister. I'm looking for her now." Harry waved his brother off. "Go dance. Ginny looks like she's getting impatient."

"Alright." Neville took her hand and they slid into the crowd of dancers.

"Harry!"

He looked up and saw Padma. She was standing with her sister and a very upset Hermione. Harry joined them and quickly cheered his friend up. Viktor found them not ten minutes later with drinks. Hermione smiled at him and accepted the cool punch. It didn't take much for Padma to prod them into dancing and the five of them pushed their way onto the dance floor and began twisting and twirling in time with the band's pounding song.

**xXxXxXx**

Silas crept stealthily outside the Great Hall and out into the courtyards. It was ten thirty, about two and a half hours after the ball had gotten started. He had carefully switched with Harry and told Harry’s friends that he needed to use the bathroom. They hardly acknowledged him when he slipped away, which is just what he wanted. He had told Dobby to come to him and inform him about Winky when he reached the rose garden.

There wasn't anyone visible, but he could hear the giggles and sighing breaths of those hiding in the shadows like him. He sneered and made his way to a relatively silent area. He cast a subtle silencing ward around him and waited. There was a soft pop and Dobby appeared before him.

"Has she left the castle?" he asked impatiently.

"Yes, sir!" Dobby nodded violently. "I followed her to see what she be doing, sir, but she put up a shield. No house-elf can get through. I came right back here instead of trying to break it because I felt you here waiting for Dobby."

"So she's there now?" Silas looked thoughtfully in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.

"Yes, sir, but there's a shield to prevent human spies as well. Do you want Dobby to break it?" The elf looked up at him with anxious eyes.

"No…" Silas finally decided. "But wait outside of it. When it drops, I need to know who Winky was meeting. Can you do that?"

"Dobby will do his very best for Harry Potter sir," Dobby said and bowed deeply before vanishing.

Silas stared at the spot the elf had been in, his eyes hard and cold, his face completely blank. Something was wrong here. Something very wrong. Voldemort was up to something and Crouch was apart of it. He was almost a hundred percent sure that Winky was meeting her former master. But what was Crouch using her for? Was she just gathering information for him or was she actually sabotaging the Triwizard Tournament for Voldemort? And if the tournament was rigged, how was Silas going to prevent Harry from walking into a trap?

A twig snapped behind him and he spun with his wand raised, a non-verbal spell ready to fly. Draco Malfoy turned the corner and walked up the path. His eyes were distant and his hands were in his pockets casually. When the blond saw Silas, he froze. A look of confusion and surprise stretched across his features. Silas held his position, wand outstretched and pointing at the blond, and waited.

"Silas?" Draco peered at him in the dark. "That's you, isn't it?"

Silas inclined his head fractionally and gestured for the blond to step closer. As soon as Draco was within the sound barrier that wouldn't let audio leave but let it enter, he spoke. "Dobby informed me this morning that Winky had asked to be allowed into the Forbidden Forest tonight. I came out here to meet with him. It seems Winky is meeting someone. Dobby doesn't know who. The elf cast a shield that prevents other elves or humans near where the meeting is taking place."

Draco caught on immediately. "I noticed Crouch couldn't be here tonight.”

Silas smiled coldly. “Exactly."

"Why are you wearing the same clothes as your brother?" Draco cocked his head curiously. "I almost couldn't tell you apart."

"Why do you think?" Silas sneered. "If anyone sees me, they'll think I'm Harry."

Draco nodded and again changed subjects. "You're brother is tearing up the dance floor. I don't think anyone could drag him off… He's not half bad at it either," he said casually, looking at his nails.

"He must have a good teacher then…" Silas drawled and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't know why Draco was fishing for compliments, but that was all the acknowledgement the blond was going to get from him. He moved on to more important matters. "Dobby will return here when he knows something more. You can return to the dance if you wish." He actually hoped Draco would stay. Draco thought Harry was still in there dancing and if he went in now and saw that Harry wasn't, he could get suspicious of the truth. Thankfully, the Slytherin declined.

"I don't prefer such large crowds. I think I'll wait with you."

Silas nodded and they stood in silence for a long minute. It wasn't broken until they both heard some quick steps coming toward them. They exchanged a glance and both hurried into cover, crouched behind a bush. Severus and Karkaroff came into view. The Durmstrang Headmaster looked distinctly nervous. He was looking around suspiciously and his hands were clasped tightly together.

"I believe we are safe to talk. Now what is it you wished to tell me?" Severus drawled, his face blank, but his eyes were dangerously narrowed.

"Severus, you cannot pretend this isn't happening!" Karkaroff's voice was distinctly desperate and anxious. "It's been getting clearer and clearer for months. I am becoming seriously concerned, I can't deny it."

"Then flee," Severus said curtly. "Flee - I will make your excuses. I, however, know there is nowhere to run and I am going to stay and see what can be done."

Karkaroff stared at him with a pale face before turning around and leaving without another word. Severus watched him go and waited for several minutes before following him back into the Great Hall. Draco and Silas exchanged a glance.

"Karkaroff didn't seem that thrilled," the blond pointed out.

"No," Silas agreed.

"So…" Draco stared at the path. "What about Snape? Do you think he was saying he was going to see what there was to do to help or hinder the Dark Lord's return?"

Silas eyed him, but Draco was staring thoughtfully down the path and didn't notice. Looking away, Silas found himself handing Draco the truth. "Hinder. He said he knew there was nowhere to run to. Meaning he had considered running away before."

"Yes, but he could be saying that running is pointless, and even if he doesn't like it, he will help the Dark Lord because it is inevitable." Draco looked over at his friend and met his dark green gaze. 

Silas had been so distant lately. Not giving him an inch, never straying away from business. Draco knew better than to ask why Silas had become so cold, but that didn't stop him from wondering. He was pleased that he now saw a bit of the more open Silas looking back at him. Because of this, he put more weight on the teen's words and took them as fact.

"Snape is no friend to the Dark Lord, no matter his appearance." Silas looked back toward the path, his concern over the man overriding his determination to keep Draco at arm’s length. 

He was worried. He knew Severus had once been a Death Eater and had turned to the Light, becoming Dumbledore's spy. He knew he had the Dark Mark. But why hadn't the Potions Master told him that the Mark was getting darker and more clear? Was it because he stupidly thought to protect him, thought Harry and Silas couldn't handle the truth? He really hoped not. His tolerance of the man hung by a very thin thread and that would be enough to snap it completely.

Dobby chose that moment to return and both teens stood and faced him. The elf looked like he had won a humongous prize. "Dobby be following your orders, Harry Potter sir. Dobby waited for Winky to drop the shield and then Dobby snuck very carefully to see if anyone was in the area. Dobby found Winky's old master, Mr. Crouch, going back toward the Apparation barrier. He be gone now, but Dobby heard him muttering Harry Potter's name and that Harry Potter was not ready, that Mr. Crouch would get things ready soon."

"Thank you, Dobby.” Silas inclined his head. "Continue to watch Winky, please. Let me know if this happens again."

"Yes sir!" Dobby squealed with delight and disappeared.

"Well that sound promising," Draco sneered sarcastically.

"Doesn't it?" Silas smiled across at the blond.

Draco laughed. "Only you would be encouraged by certain death."

"No, that would be Harry.” Silas chuckled. "I'm encouraged because my enemies sound overconfident. That has always been a very good thing for me."

"I suppose.” Draco shook his head. "We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open for the sabotage."

"You should get back. The ball's almost over. I'm sure your groupies miss you.” Silas nodded toward the Great Hall.

"Never a moment's peace.” Draco sighed and put on a pious expression.

Silas snorted and walked away. When he was sure, Draco wasn't following, he stopped and closed his eyes, allowing Harry to come back Out. 

The Gryffindor swayed and looked around in confusion. The cold December air burned his cheeks and his breath plumed in front of him. His frown deepened when he saw the bright warmth of the Great Hall was several feet away.

**Sy, what's going on?** he demanded hotly. **Why do you keep coming Out?**

When he got no answer, he was about to do something very unfortunate and probably gather lots of attention. He was stopped by Ron approaching from the side. The redhead had obviously been outside for a while and looked miserable. 

"Harry? Can we talk?"

Harry scowled and crossed his arms. "What?"

"Let's go for a walk," Ron said, his voice pleading. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Harry sighed. He let go of his aggravation at Silas and faced his friend. "You should be, but… Sure. I'll walk with you for a while, but I want to go in soon. The ball's almost over and I want to dance some more."

“Thanks." Ron smiled and they walked slowly back into the garden. "You were right… I… I think I have a crush on Hermione, but I didn't know it until tonight!… I mean, we're friends. I know there's no chance she's going to like me back. How could I compare to someone like Krum?"

"Look, Ron.” Harry said impatiently. "If Hermione likes you, she would like you for who you are and it wouldn't matter how many celebrates she knows or rich people she's met. She would like you for you. She's not shallow or anything. She's a true friend. Give her more credit."

"Yeah… But what if she doesn't like me?" Ron fretted.

"Then you have to accept that.” Harry shrugged. "She'll still be your friend. Acting like you don't have a chance and being a prat certainly doesn't help, you know."

"Yeah, I know.” Ron smiled. "Thanks, Harry. You wouldn't mind, right? Me and Hermione…"

“Nope." Harry grinned and squeezed his shoulder. "How bout we go back in now?"

"Alright."

The boys moved back to the Great Hall, but they were stopped when they heard low voices coming from around the corner. They stopped and listened. Both of their eyes got wide as they overheard Hagrid's disastrous conversation with Madam Maxime.

Harry shook his head. "Looks like tonight isn't a good night for love." He looked over at his friend and frowned at the shocked look on the redhead's face. "What's up with you?"

"I just thought he… He had an accident or something. I never thought he was a half-giant!"

"So what?" Harry demanded, his irritation for Ron flaring again full force. "He's still our friend, isn't he?"

"Yeah, but… Harry, giants are really horrible creatures. They love violence and were the root of a lot of destruction during the war against You-Know-Who. They worked for him willingly, just glad to be able to cause mayhem!"

"I repeat… Hagrid is our friend. You know he's not like that, so who cares who his parents were? What's the matter with you?" Harry snarled and stormed back into the Great Hall. God, just when he thought Ron might have sense in that head of his… Harry shook his head hard and went to look for his friends. He wasn't going to let Ron ruin his night, _twice_!

**xXxXxXx**

An hour later, the Weird Sisters played their last song to very loud pleas for more. They bowed and thanked the headmaster for inviting them before disappearing under invisibility cloaks again. Everyone clapped loudly, hooting and shouting their approval. 

Harry was among them. He'd have to find a way to get a record of the band. He really liked them. Neville was at his side with Ginny. Hermione and Viktor were at his other side. The twins and Angelina were nowhere to be seen, and Harry had some lewd guess of where they went. Parvati and Padma were somewhere with a group of Beauxbaton boys the last he had seen.

"See you later," Hermione said as they got to the entrance hall.

Viktor smiled down at her and kissed her hand. "I had a vonderous time. Thank you, Her-mine-nee. I hope to see you again veal soon."

"Me, too.” She blushed and stood on her toes to place a kiss on his cheek. 

Viktor smiled wildly, looking happier than Harry had ever seen him before. He turned without another word and left the castle to return to his ship moored in the lake.

Neville and Ginny laughed at Hermione's silly expression and they teased her as they began going up the stairs. Ron was waiting for them on the first landing, but Hermione and Harry gave him such a cold glare that he flushed and didn't try to join them. Ginny asked what her stupid brother had done now. Harry just shook his head and Hermione said simply that he was being a prat.

"Harry! Hey, Harry!"

He turned to see Cedric waving at him.

"Come down here for a second, will you?"

"I'll be right up," he told his friends and turned to go back down the stairs. "What's up?"

Cedric grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side. "Listen, Harry. I owe you one for telling me about the dragons. You know that golden egg? I know yours wails when you open it. Mine does, too."

"Ah huh?" Harry frowned. "What about it?"

"Well…" Cedric blushed. "Take a bath, okay?"

"What?" Harry blinked.

"Take a bath, and - er - take the egg with you, and - er - just mull things over in the hot water. It'll help you think… Trust me."

“Alright." Harry smiled and eyed the Hufflepuff strangely. "That's weird advice, but alright."

"Tell you what.” Cedric grinned back, completely agreeing that this was unusual. "You can use the Prefect's bathroom. Fourth door to the left of that statue of Boris the Bewildered on the fifth floor. Password's 'pine fresh'." He looked over his shoulder and Harry saw Cho waiting for him across the way. Cedric turned around and his grin widened. "Gotta go… want to say goodnight to Cho!"

Harry laughed as the Seventh-year jogged away. His good mood took a nose dive, however, when he turned around to see Ron standing a few feet away with a determined and angry expression. Harry sighed and approached him. Ron didn't make him wait.

"Look. I admit I was being a prat about Hermione, but I wasn't at all saying Hagrid was a danger or anything! I was just worried about what others would think! Not everyone knows Hagrid, and his classes are famous for being dangerous. So yeah, I was worried about how it would look if everyone found out because his mother's kind _isn't_ highly regarded. I never thought he was bad or dangerous myself, and I think it's a really prat thing for _you_ to do to just jump to some assumption like that! So what kind of friend are _you_?"

Harry blinked and found guilt rising from his stomach. He lowered his eyes and shifted his feet. When Ron's breathing evened out, he looked up again with a tired smile. "You're right, Ron. I jumped to a wrong conclusion. I guess I was still upset over you and Hermione's fight and… other things," he explained, thinking of Silas. "I'm sorry."

Ron nodded. "Good." His arms came unwound and he offered a relieved smile. "Let's go to bed, mate. I'm bushed!"

"Me, too," Harry answered honestly and followed his friend up to the Tower.

**xXxXxXx**

The next day, Ron and Hermione woke with a silent agreement not to talk about last night. They became overly polite to each other, which had Neville and Harry snickering behind their backs. Ron went sour again, however, when after lunch Hermione said she was going to the lake to meet Viktor.

"And where are you two going?" Ron demanded when Harry and Neville got up after her.

Harry shrugged. "We have work to do in the library.”

"I'll come," Ron snarled, glaring hotly at the Great Hall doors.

"Uh, Ron… I understand and all about Hermione, but I really have work to do and I don't think you'll be much help in the mood your in," Harry said tentatively.

"Come on, little brother.” Fred grinned.

"You can take your frustrations…" George wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulder

"…out on us. We can have another snowball fight."

"Dean and Seamus and a few others…"

"…already agreed to go."

Harry and Neville made their escape before Ron could even reply. Soon they were in the quiet library. They were the only ones there. They got out their books in a comfortable silence and worked for almost half an hour when Neville spoke.

"Maybe we can study the Animagus Transformation when we're done."

Harry froze and stared at his brother. Neville had never willingly studied how to be an Animagus since he had learned he was an oak tree. This was the most blatant proof yet that his brother was healing. Neville caught his shocked gaze and smiled timidly. 

Harry cleared his throat and asked carefully, "Nev… Could you… Tell me about your lessons with Mrs. Flitwick?"

"It's really hard to explain," Neville said softly, eyes back on his books. "And it's really personal."

"I won't tell a soul," Harry promised.

"Well, we do everything Rowena was doing with me." Neville leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. A tense smile stretched his face. "But instead of… falling into the heart of the Earth… Madigan has taught me to skim the surface, keeping myself as the center. If that makes sense?" He looked over at his brother anxiously.

“Kinda." Harry nodded. "It sounds a lot better."

"It is,” Neville agreed. "I don't lose myself this way. Madigan said I was doing way too advanced stuff too soon. The Earth is layered and so is it's consciousness. As you get stronger, you can try to advance to a deeper layer, but only one at a time. She thinks I might be a Master when I'm done studying. Granted that will take decades of learning, but…"

"That's great, Nev!" Harry beamed and gripped his arm excitedly. "I knew you could do it!"

Neville smiled back, peace behind his eyes for the first time in years. "Yeah. I think I might be able to do it, too."

"Hey, boys." They looked up to see Remus walking toward them. "You are being very diligent today."

"We have a lot of work to make-up,” Harry said ruefully, ruffling his hair at the back of his head.

"Do you think I could help or should I just leave you two alone?" Remus offered warmly.

"Help would be nice.” Neville smiled happily as Remus took a seat next to him.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus opened his door after hearing a soft tapping. Winter break was over and tomorrow classes resumed. He had been hoping to get some sleep, but fate conspired against him. Scowling, expecting a whining Slytherin, he was surprised to find Silas standing on the other side.

"I see you still have the game board out," Silas commented as Severus shut the door behind him. The teen moved slowly over to his normal seat and sat down, gazing at the chess pieces thoughtfully before moving a pawn forward one.

Severus had no idea what Silas was after, but he knew from experience that he gained more by letting things move at the teen's pace. So he swept his robes out behind him with his hands and sat across from his student. He eyed the board and moved a pawn out two spaces. 

They played in silence for many minutes. Silas sat still except for when he moved a piece. His dark messy bangs hung over his face and obscured his eyes, leaving Severus a view of a straight nose and tightly held lips. Severus continued to watched and to wait.

Silas had come for advice, but now that he was sitting across from his mentor he found himself reluctant to speak. It was galling. He hated the idea that he needed help. With anything. Needing help implied that he was incapable and weak, did it not? To willingly put himself in the position of supplicant was repulsive on many levels, but he had done it before. He was the one to write to Professor Snape and ask for help almost two years ago. It had been hard, but he had known when to reach out. So why was it so hard now?

He hid a grimace as the answer came to him: Lockhart. Ever since he had taken the memories and trauma of the molestation, he had been aggressively against anyone trying to help. That couldn't be tolerated any longer. Ever since Severus had revealed the damage done by him trying to occupy the same space as Harry, by him becoming so involved in the everyday world and living, he had the chance to pull back and reevaluated his purpose and goals.

He realized that he had been neglecting the bigger picture- the threat of Voldemort and his unknown agents. It was his job to make sure they were protected from threats coming at them from a distance by planning and being prepared. It was Harry's job to deal with the day to day relationships, dramas, problems, and confrontations. The fact that Silas had become so entwined where he didn't belong in the first place meant Severus was probably right. He was getting closer to being ready to merge, and that scared him worse than anything.

Merging meant he would be sacrificing aspects of his personality to be suppressed by some of Harry's. They would be one person, one face, one soul, and Silas didn't know what that would mean for them. Would it make them stronger? Would it make them more vulnerable? Silas couldn't risk it. He had to be here to make things work. To protect Harry from the Inside, and watch out for threats that were too subtle for Harry to recognize on the Outside.

More than that, Silas couldn't bear the thought of relinquishing parts of himself. Submission had never sat well with him, but now the word was something foul. It was something that invoked his memories of Lockhart. His personality had been suppressed then, too. He was made to believe that what was happening was good. Was the rightness of merging a lie as well?

So he had pulled back. He had retreated in their shared mind, doing what he was supposed to be doing from the beginning. Watching, learning, plotting, and letting Harry deal with the world. His input wasn't needed. Harry didn't need his opinions. It was Harry's life Out there. Silas had to leave it alone and only support Harry or make himself heard when it was truly important, and it had worked. The mental tension between them had relaxed.

But he hadn't counted on how unhappy it would make his Host alter. Harry still tried to speak to him, still felt worried about him. Silas wanted to mend the hurt he had unintentionally caused by becoming so involved in Harry's conscious life, but he didn't know how. He didn't think communicating with him was a good thing. It might pull them back to the cliff edge of merging or fighting against each other.

Not only did he need advice about Harry's unhappiness, he needed help with the whole Crouch/Voldemort thing. He knew Crouch was working for the Dark Lord (doing whatever the Dark Lord was trying to do; Silas still didn't know what the plan was), but he couldn't be the only one. There was at least one more agent, the one who put the name Harry Potter into the Goblet of Fire in a way that ensured it came out. Time was running out and interrogating Winky after the meeting in the woods Christmas night had turned up nothing. She had been unable to speak and had only become hysterical when pressed. He and Draco had Obliviated her. What else could they do?

So he needed to bow his head and ask Severus for help, but it was physically painful. He felt nauseous. Taking a deep breath, he figured he could work his way up to actually asking for help. The man wasn't going anywhere. 

"I learned some interesting things last week."

"Did you?" Severus asked indifferently, moving his rook and taking Silas' bishop.

"I did.” Silas smiled coldly. He had to admit this man was a much better chess player than him, no matter how hard he tried. With him distracted with his inner conflicts, Severus was killing him. The game was very obviously lost in his teacher's favor. Maybe he could do some distracting himself. "How _is_ your arm tonight?"

Severus stilled and looked at him intently. "You overheard my conversation."

"Why didn't you tell me about it darkening?" Silas asked bluntly, lifting his chin enough to meet the man's eyes.

"It is faint and I am uncertain as to it's significance. I did not deign it worthwhile to mention. Besides, you have not been very available for communicating." Severus lifted a shoulder in a minuscule shrug and moved his castle, preparing for the check-mate.

"True," Silas admitted with gritted teeth. That had his teacher looking up at him with surprise. Silas felt it was almost worth displaying his weakness if it put that expression on the insufferable man's face. _Almost_. He swallowed his fear and anger, forcing himself to continue. "I am open to communicating now."

Severus sat back in his chair, quickly blanking his face. "Alright," he said lightly and gestured for the teen to talk.

Silas stalled a moment more by moving a pawn. "I need advice." He waited for Severus to make his counter-move before continuing. "Winky met with Crouch the night of the ball. I questioned her afterward, but she is so entangled in her two sworn bonds of service that there was no getting anything from her. We still don't know the identity of the one who ensured I'd be in this tournament. There's a little over a month before the Second Task. We need to figure out Voldemort's plans, and soon."

"And you wish advice on the next step?" Severus asked carefully, secretly pleased that Silas said "I" instead of Harry when referring to the goblet.

“Yes." Silas nodded. "Is there anyway you can question Crouch, get information from him about what is planned for the tournament? Or a way to get answers from that damn Winky?"

"I'm afraid Winky is a lost cause," Severus said thoughtfully, his dark eyes staring over the teen's shoulder. "Crouch… He is an influential man in the Ministry. It will be very difficult to maneuver him into a position of vulnerability that we could exploit. A direct confrontation is not advisable. The most we can do is keep an eye on his movements and associates."

"So what do we do?" Silas snarled, disgusted with their helplessness.

Severus brought his attention to the teen. All of a sudden he realized just how young Silas was. Despite his impressive intelligence and cleverness, he was still fourteen and relatively inexperienced with the world. A lot of the frustration Severus had built up for the Core alter began to dissipate. Were he in Silas's place, he probably wouldn't be handling things as well as the teen was managing to do.

"We go after someone close to him who is not as guarded," he drawled, a smile of anticipation curling his mouth.

Silas considered this and after a few minutes he smiled in return. "Ludo Bagman. We can start there. He seems to know Crouch well, and he seems overly impressed with the Boy-Who-Lived."

"True, but I am uncertain you should do the questioning," Severus murmured. "We don't want him to become suspicious and alert Crouch."

"So you will question him?" Silas asked with narrowed eyes.

"I will arrange something, yes." Severus inclined his head, waiting for the verdict.

Silas grit his teeth. If he agreed, he would be relinquishing control of their only lead completely. If he didn't, he could take the risk and do things himself. It all came down to trust. "I want to be kept well informed," he warned, reluctantly accepting. 

Severus had to viciously smoother the proud smile that fought to the surface of his face. He knew that would only heighten Silas's discomfort. So instead he bowed his head and said, "Of course. I will tell you when I know anything."

"I also wanted to ask your opinion on the situation with Harry,” Silas said this casually, but he couldn't meet his teacher's eyes. "He is distressed that I no longer communicate with him. He even feels it's because I am upset or angry with him. Should I reassure him that I am not angry with him? Should he be informed of what we have learned about Crouch?"

Severus brought his hands up before his mouth. This was actually a hard question. He was no more happy about Harry's distress than Silas, but he really felt they should not communicate directly. "I will talk with him. I will reassure him and explain what is happening. I assume I have permission to tell him you are well and not distressed with him or the necessary silence?"

Silas nodded stiffly. "Tell him…" He couldn't believe how much he wanted to talk to Harry himself. It was aggravating to have to go through Severus. What he wanted to say was humiliating and personal, but he had already brought himself low, and there was no way he was going to do this again so he might as well get all the humiliating things over with. "That I am the other half of his soul. The wording is important. He will understand."

Severus was very shocked at such intimate words, shocked that so much trust was suddenly being placed in him. He was so startled that he said nothing as the teen stood and excused himself, slipping quietly from the room. He looked down at the chess board and allowed himself a broad smile as he tipped over Silas's king. Checkmate.

**xXxXxXx**

"How could you?" Harry snarled in a cold, furious voice. He had Draco by the front of his robes, half strangling him as he growled not two inches from his face.

The blond smirked, but when he spoke his voice was soft so only Harry could hear. "If I didn't, then Nott would have. At least I guided the insults to ones that are more easily countered."

"Why would you help?" Harry whispered, his grip lessening in his shock. "You don't care about Hagrid. You tried to get him fired last year."

Draco yanked away and straightened his robes with a disgusted glare. He looked down his aristocratic nose at the bespectacled teen before him and sneered. "It is not my fault that you like the lug. I would recommend getting better friends."

Harry blinked, only vaguely listening to the hateful sputtering of Ron and Hermione who had come up beside him. Harry realized Draco's attitude was an act. That he had done what he could to help Hagrid. And if Harry understood him correctly, Draco just admitted that there was only one reason he had done so: Harry liked Hagrid, and Draco was Harry's friend, so he had done what he could despite his real dislike of their professor.

Harry was shocked. He had assumed Draco was only decent to him because he was _Silas's_ friend, but Silas wouldn't be distraught over Hagrid losing his job or even being tormented by the press. It wouldn't bother him either way. So Draco hadn't done this for Silas. The blond had done it for Harry.

"Harry? You alright, mate?" Ron asked, his hand stuffed deep in his robe pockets.

"Yeah." Harry shook his head becoming aware of the frigid air and icy snow all around them. Professor Grubby-Plank was lecturing about the unicorn all the girls were hovering around while all the boys shifted in place and tried desperately to get warm. Harry's eyes kept straying to Draco, but the Slytherin was very emphatically not paying any attention to him.

"What did he say?" Neville asked quietly when Dean, Seamus, and Ron began a heated argument about Quidditch and were sufficiently distracted.

"He said he had to do it, but that he made the insults ones easy to argue against. Like when Vince said he got bit by a flobberworm, but flobberworms don't have teeth," Harry whispered with wide eyes, still shocked.

Neville's mouth fell open. "Really?"

"Yeah." Harry shook his head and smiled. "And I'm not sure… You know how Slytherins sometimes talk… but I think he said I was his friend."

"Wow," Neville breathed, his eyes wide. "He sure has come around, huh?"

"You can say that again," Harry agreed fervently. He remembered the Brat Prince very well, thank you. "I wish I knew what happened to change his stance and beliefs. In any case, Silas must have made a huge impact on him."

"Harry, who do you think has the better Keeper?" Ron interrupted, his face flush with anger. "England or Ireland?"

**xXxXxXx**

Harry pulled off his invisibility cloak and smiled up at his teacher. Severus inclined his head in greeting and gestured to the couch. Shaking his head with a near silent chuckle, Harry settled into his spot. It was always relaxing, coming down here. It was like… coming home. He sighed in contentment and leaned back comfortably as his mentor took his accustomed seat across from him.

"What are you so happy about?" Severus questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm actually not sure.” Harry shrugged. "Hermione and Ron are fighting because Hermione and Viktor are getting closer. And Hagrid wouldn't come out of his cabin even when I begged him. Why is everyone acting so stupid about this?" The teen frowned.

"You are aware of the capricious nature of Wizarding society.” Severus flicked his fingers languidly. "Just give Hagrid time. He'll come around and realize that only certain opinions matter. His position as professor is quite safe."

“Good." Harry smiled again. "But other than those two things, I feel like things are going well. I did better on my midterms than I thought I would. Hermione and Viktor are really getting along. I think they might be falling in love. Neville is doing excellent. Ms. Flitwick is doing wonders. And we've made a lot of progress in studying the Animagus transformation. Hermione might be ready to make the potion soon in a few weeks. The only thing that really worries me is Silas." Harry's good mood diminished as he looked down at his hands folded in his lap.

"Harry, Silas is doing what is best," Severus said with a gentleness that would have surprised anyone except Harry. "It is not because he is mad in any sense. He has just retreated to give you room to think and live without restriction. When he is ready, he will put himself forward again and the merge will come very soon after."

"I know that, but…" Harry sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "It's still hard. He comes Out without warning or telling me what he's doing."

Severus nodded. "Partially he is studying. He has also returned to attempting to unravel Voldemort's plots. Winky has met with Crouch during the ball. That is why he sent Percy in his stead. He is definitely up to no good. Unfortunately, Crouch is out of Silas's reach and out of mine as well. Instead, I plan on arranging a chance to question Bagman. He will be more susceptible to my influence."

“Oh." Harry frowned and bit his lip. "I could help… I don't see how, but I want to."

"Silas knows that," his mentor said with a slight smile. "Trust me. You are helping by just doing what you're doing. He told me to tell you something. His exact words were, 'You are the other half of my soul'."

Harry sucked in a surprised breath and let it out in a whoosh, tears rising in his eyes. For the first time, he really believed Silas wasn't mad at him. Not for involving himself with Draco, not for merging, or anything else. He remembered his last view of the mental sitting room, of Silas looking at him with anxiety, and promising the Slytherin that they weren't really being separated. He had said Silas was his other half, and he was. His other self.

The tension in Harry gave way and he knew that he should just relax and let Silas do as he wished. He acted for both of them. Harry didn't need to know what he was doing or thinking. He didn't need to speak to him. They were extensions of the same self. They each had their own jobs; they each had a purpose. Harry had to trust in that. He had to do the best he could on his end and let Silas do what he had to do on the Slytherin end.

"Thank you, Severus," Harry whispered, eyes bright. "I think I understand now."

Severus stood, uncomfortable with the naked gratitude and love shining in the teen's eyes. "Let us spar. You need to keep in shape."

"Look who's talking, old man.” Harry laughed. He jumped to his feet and chased after his mentor, feeling lighter than he had in a while. Yes. Today had been a very good day, despite everything.

**xXxXxXx**

Dumbledore, who was still frequently absent from the school for unknown reasons, made the second weekend after the first week of school a Hogsmeade weekend. Harry, Neville, Hermione, and Ron all stopped by Hagrid's hut, as they did everyday for the past two weeks, before heading into the town. Again their friend didn't answer. Since the article in the _Daily Prophet_ , the half-giant had refused to show his face.

The four of them went to the candy store first, but the weather was so wet and cold that they went to the pub to get hot drinks afterward. They were just settling down when a disapproving Hermione asked if Bagman ever went to the office like he was supposed to. Harry's head snapped around and he stared. He knew Snape was supposed to be talking to the man to find out what was going on with Crouch, but he hadn't heard anything about the success of that plan. Without giving it another fault, Harry fell backwards and Silas rose to the front.

The Slytherin was impressed. That had been the smoothest transition they had ever experienced before. He turned to the other teens around him and tried to give a careless smile. "I'll be right back. Wait here, okay?"

The others nodded and Silas approached the tournament judge. Bagman was sitting at a table with four goblins and they didn't look happy. Silas studied the situation with narrowed eyes. Goblins ran the bank. Did Ludo have money trouble? Did he owe some? He looked away and went to the bar. He couldn't just walk up to the man. Bagman had to come to him. 

Sure enough, he was just turning around with a butterbeer when he heard the rotund man shout: "Harry!" The man was smiling boyishly as he hurried up to him. The goblins he had abandoned watched with hard, inhuman eyes. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going alright?"

"Fine, thanks.” Silas smiled smoothly back. He moved as if to go back to his table and the man quickly grabbed his arm.

"Can I have a word with you? In private? It'll just take a moment."

Silas looked into Bagman's seemingly guileless blue eyes and tried to mimic the effect. "Sure, Mr. Bagman."

"Just Ludo, please.” He towed Silas to the end of the bar away from other customers and Rosmerta. Bagman smiled and his voice became eager. "I just wanted to congratulate you again, Harry. The way you handled that horntail was truly superb!"

"Thank you, sir," Silas said easily. He glanced into the mirror beside them and noticed the goblins were still staring intently at Ludo. "Ummm, may I ask? What's wrong with the goblins? Are they always like that?"

"Absolute nightmare." The man ran a hand over his bald spot nervously. "Their English isn't too good… It's like being back with all the Bulgarians at the Quidditch World Cup, but at least they used sign language another human could recognize. This lot keep gabbling in Gobbledygook."

"What do they want?" Silas asked innocently as he tried to plan on how to steer the conversation to Crouch.

"Er - well…" Bagman looked distinctly anxious. Sweat was beading on his forehead and the man was patting at it nervously. "They… er… they're looking for Barty Crouch."

Well, that was easy, Silas grinned internally. "Why are they looking for him here?" He made himself look confused. "He's at the Ministry in London, isn't he?"

"Er… as a matter of fact, I've no idea where he is. He's sort of… stopped coming to work. Been absent for a couple of weeks now, since that ball. Young Percy, his assistant, say's he's ill, but that he'll still be able to judge the next task in the tournament. Percy's handling all of Barty's Ministry work otherwise. Apparently he's just been sending instructions by owl. But would you mind not mentioning that to anyone, Harry? Because Rita Skeeter's still poking around everywhere she can, and I'm willing to bet she'd work up Barty's illness into something sinister. Probably say he's gone missing like Bertha Jorkins."

"Have you heard anything about Ms. Jorkins?" Silas asked, amazed how willing Ludo was to spill information.

"No," Bagman said, looking strained. "I've got people looking, of course, and it's all very strange. She definitely arrived in Albania because she met her second cousin there. She left the cousin's house to go south to see an aunt and she vanished without a trace en route. Blowed if I can see where she's got to… She doesn't seem the type to elope, for instance… What are we doing talking about goblins and Bertha Jorkins, anyway? I really wanted to ask you how you are getting on with your golden egg?"

"Not bad," Silas answered, surprised at the turn in the conversation.

"Listen, Harry," Bagman said earnestly. "I feel real bad about all this. You were thrown into the tournament without warning and you're not as advanced as any of the other champions. If I can help you at all, I would be very pleased, very pleased in deed. How about a hint? A prod in the right direction?"

Silas stared expressionlessly. "No thanks. I've already figured out the egg." He suspected a trap somewhere with Bagman and he didn't want to be punished because the judge caught him cheating.

Bagman's face transformed into something angry and Silas wrapped his hand around his wand, stowed in his pocket, but before the man could say anything, Fred and George appeared with too bright smiles. 

"Hello, Mr. Bagman!" 

"We were wondering if we could buy you a drink." 

The anxious look returned and the man made his excuses before fleeing. Fred and George followed after him while Silas returned thoughtfully to the sitting room and Harry rejoined his friends.

Rita Skeeter showed up next and after a heated argument between the four teens and the reporter, Harry decided he had had enough of Hogsmeade. His friends followed him and they were just in time to see Dumbledore gain entrance to Hagrid's hut.

Harry would rather avoid the arrogant headmaster as much as he could. Just the sight of the old man had him grinding his teeth with impotent rage, but this was their only chance to see Hagrid, so Harry followed his three friends when they hurried to join Dumbledore in Hagrid's hut. 

Together they all convinced Hagrid that no one who mattered cared he was a half-giant and that he should come back to teaching. Of course, no good deed goes unpunished and Dumbledore cornered Harry after the pep-talk and 'invited' him to his office that night.

**xXxXxXx**

"I'm here.” Harry glared and crossed his arms over his chest. 

It was eight at night and Dumbledore sat behind his desk with a sickeningly sweet smile on his hairy face. Harry had refused the seat the old man had offered him; the headmaster merely chuckled at him. Harry's whole body tensed as he fought the urge to scream and do some serious damage.

"Gabriel, my boy. How are you? Is the investigation of the egg going well?" Dumbledore leaned back in his chair completely at ease, his eyes twinkling.

"What do you want?" Harry ground out.

"Straight to business?" Dumbledore laughed again and leaned forward casually. "Very well. Rest with ease, child."

Harry blinked. What was that supposed… Oh! He had almost forgotten about the whole mental leash thing. 'Godric's sword' was suppose to bring Gabriel forward and 'Rest with ease' was supposed to push him back. He allowed himself to fall back with an irritated scowl. He thought he almost heard Silas laughing at him as he fell.

Albus frowned. Usually his trigger phrases worked much more quickly than they had tonight, but they were still holding, so he figured he didn't have to worry about it yet. 

Silas straightened, his face going neutral. He inclined his head and said a polite, "Headmaster." 

Albus smiled happily. Silas reminded him more and more of Severus. ”I found another memory I feel important for you to view," he explained graciously. He stood and went to his special cabinet, taking out the Pensieve there and setting in the center of his desk. The teen eyed it expressionlessly. "Shall we?" Albus asked as he made a sweeping gesture over the blue-silver liquid.

They both entered the memory. It was night. A storm was raging outside. They were in a church and three woman were in front of them, two of them nuns. One was Merope. She was filthy and sick looking, her face twisted in agony as she gave birth to her son. Her screams echoed off the tall bare walls.

"We have to back track a bit in our understanding of Tom's life," Dumbledore murmured. "I was very lucky to recover this memory and one other just last week. I've been doing research, trying to find as many memories that might give us insight into the Dark Lord's weaknesses as possible. This particular memory is from the nun to the right, the one by Merope's head."

Silas nodded, noticing that the nun Dumbledore was pointing out had been young, about sixteen or seventeen. She would be in her late eighties or early nineties now. The birth was hard and long, but they had arrived at the end. Only a few minutes later, there was a loud cry and Tom was born.

"Thomas Marvolo Riddle," Merope whispered. There was no love in her voice, but there was a triumphant pride. "Thomas Riddle after his father; Marvolo for his grandfather.” And then Merope died. 

Silas and the headmaster were ejected from the Pensieve, but Dumbledore quickly gathered up the first memory in a glass vial and poured a new one in, gesturing for Silas to return inside the Pensieve. This time they were in the broken down cabin Silas remembered being the Gaunt's. Morfin, stupid dirty Morfin, was huddled in the corner when a teenage Voldemort came into the room without knocking.

"This was either just before or after Tom graduated from Hogwarts," Dumbledore murmured.

Silas watched as Tom and Morfin argued in Parseltongue. The teen wondered what Dumbledore was thinking about all of this. He obviously couldn't tell what they were saying. Suddenly the memory went dark, as if all the light in the world had suddenly gone out. Dumbledore grabbed Silas's arm and then they were standing in the headmaster's office once more.

"Why did it go dark?" Silas asked.

"Because Morfin could not remember anything from that point onward," Dumbledore explained with a gentle smile. "When he awoke the next morning, he was laying on the floor, quite alone. Marvolo's ring had gone. Meanwhile, in the village of Little Hangleton, a maid was running along the High Street, screaming that there were three bodies lying in the drawing room of the big house: Thomas Riddle Senior and Mr. and Mrs. Riddle, Voldemort's grandparents."

"Killing Curse?" Silas lifted an eyebrow.

"Yes. The Ministry knew at once when they saw the bodies. They also knew a convicted Muggle-hater who had already been imprisoned once for attacking one of the murdered people. So the Ministry called upon Morfin. They did not need to question him, to use Veritaserum or Legilimency. He admitted to the murder on the spot, giving details only the murderer could know. He was proud, he said, to have killed the Muggles, had been awaiting his chance all these years. He handed over his wand which was proved at once to have been used to kill the Riddles. And he permitted himself to be led off to Azkaban without a fight."

"How did you get this?" Silas gestured at the Pensieve and the memory it contained.

"I was able to secure a visit to Morfin in the last weeks of his life. I had previously been denied access, but with the tournament distracting the Ministry, especially since there is a great political battle going on right now about legalities. I extracted this memory with difficulty. When I saw what it contained, I attempted to use it to secure Morfin's release, but the poor man died the next day."

**I'm sure you tried to get Voldemort's broken and murderous uncle out of Azkaban,** Silas sneered silently. **I bet you were the one that killed him.**

Dumbledore rambled on about the ring being missing and how Voldemort had framed his uncle. Silas didn't listen. He was too busy with his own thoughts. When he was finally dismissed, Silas made his way down to the dungeons. On the way, he picked up Remus and Neville. He was glad Hogwarts was still keeping his presence untraceable to the headmaster at night. 

The four of them discussed the memories he had seen. They still didn't know how they could be important, but all of them felt like there was something there.

**xXxXxXx**

The weekend sped by. Harry did homework, spared, and played piano. His friends were getting closer to understanding the Animagus transformation, and Harry and Neville thought they would be able to try it by summer. Ginny started hanging out with them a bit in the common room as classes started again, and her addition made Hermione happier and Neville rather flustered. Harry laughed at them all.

Moody began teaching them to duel and the spells he was teaching them were getting steadily more violent. This week they were learning how to blow inanimate, wood-based things up. Severus was teaching them poisons still and had made Lavender drink her potion. Thankfully, Seamus's antidote worked and she was spared a trip to the Infirmary. McGonagall was teaching them interspecies Transfiguration and Flitwick was teaching them charms that allowed an object to defy its natural state, like making it shrink or float or become lighter. Hagrid was back at Care of Magical Creatures and they were still struggling with the Blast-ended Skrewts. Professor Sprout had them battling man-eating plants.

So by Thursday Harry was feeling a little rough around the edges. On top of his increasingly demanding classes, Thursday was exactly one month away from the Second Task. Harry still hadn't even tried to de-code the damn egg. With a sigh, he figured he could give Cedric's strange advice a shot. He was running out of time.

That night, while everyone was sleeping, Harry grabbed his Invisibility Cloak and snuck down to the prefect's bathroom. Feeling a bit embarrassed, he whispered the password and entered. Harry pulled off the cloak with his mouth falling open. The bathroom was huge. The floor was a pink marble, the walls were white. Steam wove through the air like a thick blanket. The bath itself was as large as a small pool and four feet deep at the end. Dozens of colored bottles containing every kind of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash reflected the soft light into beautiful rainbows.

Harry grinned and set the egg on the side of the bath before climbing in. A soft sigh of pure bliss escaped his lips as he submerged his body completely. It was heaven! The warmth soaked down to his very bones and had him relaxed and peaceful in minutes. 

Feeling like a little kid, he reached for a purple bottle and poured some into the water. Bubbles immediately began to rise and expand in a circle; they floated on the steam and Harry could a faint scent of lilac swirled lightly around him.

He played and relaxed for almost an hour before he forced himself back to the egg. He looked at it with a frown. It didn't look any different. Maybe a bit shinier because of the water beading on it's sides. He flipped it open and the loud screeching shattered the peaceful environment. Harry had been so relaxed that he jumped, dropping the egg with a loud splash. Cursing and sputtering, he dove after it.

" _Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took,_

_But past an hour - the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone; it won't come back."_

Harry shut the egg and came gasping to the surface. He felt a scowl settle on his features. So something from the lake was going to hold hostage something that was precious to him. If he was later than an hour getting to it, then that thing would never be returned. The fact that there was such a long time limit meant there was going to be obstacles to overcome. He really hoped it wasn’t the giant squid.

**xXxXxXx**

"We have a problem," Harry said glumly Friday morning at breakfast.

"What?" Neville and Ron asked together while Hermione and Ginny gave him their full attention.

Harry repeated the song he had heard and then admitted, "I don't know how to swim, and I'm guessing that whatever it is we're facing in the lake is gonna be at the very bottom."

"Merpeople," Hermione said with a worried look. "I've read that merpeople can only talk underwater, so I assume they can only sing underwater as well. And in _Hogwarts: A History_ there's a whole chapter on the lake. It mentioned a whole mer-city is down there."

"Mermaids?" Harry frowned. "Beautiful topless fish-girls?"

"No, mate.” Ron shook his head and put a consoling hand on his friend's shoulder. "The half-fish people that love to eat humans and lure them toward their water where they drown them. They're quite violent and savage. Think shark, not dolphin."

"Great." Harry threw his fork to the table. "Why would anyone volunteer for this stupid thing?"

"I don't know.” Neville shook his head. Ron blushed hotly, since he had wanted to join.

"This isn't funny. I have a month to learn how to swim well and it's mid-January. The lake's freezing!"

"Viktor swims in the lake. He quite enjoys it," Hermione said with a blush. Ron glared at her and she blushed hotter. "He… uh… might be using a charm to keep himself warm or something. I can't imagine him swimming in freezing water without any kind of assistance and he certainly doesn't wear a wetsuit."

"Wet-what?" Ginny asked curiously, but Hermione just waved that aside, turning purple with embarrassment.

"Thanks, ‘Mione." Harry smiled and stood from the table. "I'll talk to him at lunch."

"I think I have an idea that might help," Neville said softly, his brown eyes bright with enthusiasm. He went to Harry's side and they walked together from the Great Hall to Charms class. "You see, there's this plant. It's called gillyweed, and it…"

**xXxXxXx**

The weeks passed with lightning speed. Harry took to swimming with Viktor every other day. He did, in fact, use an insulation charm. It took Harry almost three days to get it right, but once he did, they began his swimming lessons. The Seeker had a great time laughing at him at first, but he was patient and never let him struggle too long without help. By the end of the first week of lessons, Harry felt more confident. By the end of the second week, he was swimming deeper and farther. By the third, he was racing Viktor and coming closer to winning.

Saturday morning, four days until the Second Task, Harry went out to the lake for his last swimming lesson. Viktor was sitting on the bank looking vaguely evil. Harry sat next to him worriedly. 

"Are you alright? You're not fighting with Hermione are you?"

“No." Viktor's scowl got impossibly darker. "It is de clue. I still 'ave not guess it."

"You still have a few more days," Harry offered weakly. They had never talked about the task. Harry had just assumed he had been the last to figure it out. Slowly he began to smile, but he hid it quickly. "Come on. I'll race you to your ship. You can try and figure it out while I do warm-up laps."

Viktor stood and dove into the water without a word. 

Harry flung himself after him, pulling at the water and breathing to the side as he had been taught. He kicked hard and rhythmically, smoothing out his gait, but no matter how hard he swam, Viktor always kept ahead. Harry grinned again as Viktor reached the ladder and began to climb up, waving him off. Harry did a few laps, but he climbed up after his friend ten minutes later.

Just as he hoped, Viktor was sitting near the side, the egg closed but unlatched in his lap. Harry walked over and stumbled, knocking against his friend hard. The egg fell over the side. Viktor cried out in dismay and dove after it. Harry laughed, but he quickly wiped his smile away as Viktor came back to the surface, his eyes narrowed.

"I'm so sorry!" Harry called, pretending sorrow. "The deck is slippery right there and…"

"You should not 'ave done it," Viktor called back and Harry gulped, but then his friend smiled. "But you, I forgive."

**xXxXxXx**

Silas made his way to the pitch, drying his hair as he went, Harry having just come from the lake. There was still snow on the ground, but hopefully there wouldn't be many more snow storms this winter. Spring was only two and a half months away. It was still cold, though. Miss Silverwood was waiting in the Quidditch stands as she was the last time. She had a white fur hat on, her golden hair falling around her shoulders in glossy ringlets. Her white robes were fur-lined and looked expensive. She batted her brown eyes at him as he again bowed over her hand.

"How have you been, Harry?" she asked sweetly.

"I've been busy," Silas answered wryly. "Things could have been better. It seems Miss Skeeter is determined to ruin my peace of mind."

"What do you mean?" She frowned, her hand discreetly holding pencil that was poised over the parchment on her lap.

"She wrote that article about my teacher, Professor Hagrid. She knew he was my friend," Silas admitted. He preceded to describe how Hagrid had introduced him to the Wizarding world, and how he was one of the only professors that always stood by him even when gossip was set against him. "He has risen above his past and is loyal to his friends and very gentle. With my own dark past… It makes me wonder if I'll be turned on just as easily by the public. I mean, everyone's known Hagrid for years and were fine with him. I don't understand how this changes who he is or how some people can just decide all he's done no longer counts because of something that has been true all along."

"It's sad how closed-minded a lot of people are," Silverwood murmured sympathetically.

"I know…" Silas sighed and then shook himself. "You didn't come to hear about Hagrid. I bet you're wondering about the task."

She smiled. "I want to hear about anything you want to talk about, Harry.”

"Thank you. I wish others had your honor." Silas took her hand and kissed it. She laughed as he grinned at her. "I'm actually fairly confident about understanding the clue. I am worried though. It's going to be dangerous. All of us could be hurt. They're event taking something 'precious' from us that we might not get back if we don’t do well…" Silas ran a hand through his hair and looked off thoughtfully.

"Well, there are some of us rooting for you."

“Thanks." Silas gave her a soft, close-mouthed smile.

"No, thank you for talking to me. You don't have to." Silverwood stood and offered him her hand.

Silas shook it. "I'll have more exciting things to talk about after the task, I'm sure. Sorry for rambling on for so long. I'll see you next Saturday?"

"Definitely."

**Chapter end. _Please review!_**


	41. To Live or Die and the Aftermath

**To Live or Die and the Aftermath**

Harry woke up the morning of the Second Task feeling grimly determined. Ron, Dean, and Seamus were already up and were waiting for him with the rest of Gryffindor in the common room. It was a tight fit for the whole House. He smiled sheepishly as he made his way through the crowd, allowing the shouting teens to pound on his back and wish him luck. Finally managing to get out the portrait hole, Harry stumbled into the blessedly empty hall. It didn't last long as the Gryffindors began pouring into the hall after him, talking excitedly and shouting at each other. Harry bolted, ducking into the less used passages that would take him the long way around.

It wasn't that he was uncomfortable with the attention, he wasn't, but he didn't need this right now. He had to focus on the task. It was most likely sabotaged, he was going to be facing shark-people, and something precious of his was on the line. He vaguely wished he could see Severus before the task. He knew his mentor would wish him luck and give him good advice.

Then again Severus had already lectured him about the task he was facing for almost two weeks now. He had even supplied the gillyweed that was safe in his pocket, but it would still have been nice to see him before the task started. Clearing his thoughts, Harry descended into battle readiness.

He strode from the Entrance Hall doors and made his way toward the Quidditch stands that had been positioned around the lake. There were still some stragglers, but mostly all of Hogwarts and the visiting students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were already seated and creating a dull roar. He saw the silk tent from the First Task and veered toward it. The three other champions were waiting inside along with all the judges.

"Harry! Welcome!" Bagman said excitedly. "So glad you could make it!"

"Was there any doubt, Ludo?" Dumbledore chuckled, his faded blue eyes twinkling like mad.

"Course not!" Bagman laughed and patted at his forehead. "I think we're about ready to begin, yes?" He beamed around at his fellows. "Judges, if you would come with me out to the Judge's Table. The Champions need to stand in front of it…" He looked around and smiled when there were no questions. "Alright, let's begin!"

Ludo marched out of the tent and the crowd roared it's approval. The man waved and grinned as he took his chair at the raised table. Mr. Crouch, pale and grim, did his best to ignore the crowd completely. Maxime smiled and offered a half-wave, but she quickly sat down with a scowling Karkaroff next to her. Dumbledore merely inclined his head with a twinkle as he took his own seat.

The noise grew impossibly louder when the champions appeared. Fleur was the first to leave the tent, long hair sparkling like strands of diamonds and showing off a perfect figure in her one-piece swimsuit. Cedric followed, grinning and blushing madly in yellow swim trunks as the Hufflepuffs roared his name.

"Ready, Harry?" Viktor asked in a whisper.

Harry took a deep breath and met his eyes steadily. "Yeah. Let's go."

They walked out together. Viktor in a black Speedo and Harry in red trunks. Viktor gave the thrashing audience his worst glare, his whole face twisted with it, and then he stared resolutely at the lake as if his fans didn't even exist. Harry found himself grinning sheepishly. He had never had such attention, not even when he won a Quidditch match. It was rather overwhelming.

Ludo Bagman stood, raising both hands and slowly the crowd quieted. Still grinning, the round man cast Sonorous on himself. "Well, all our champions are ready for the Second Task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover the persons whom are most important to them. Last night, all the judges got together to cast a spell that would name a peer that the champions would feel most upset at losing. Fleur Delacour, we have taken your sister Gabrielle. Cedric Diggory, we have taken Cho Chang. Viktor Krum, we have taken Hermione Granger. And Harry Potter… Well, our Harry Potter can never be ordinary."

There was a laugh at this from the hundreds of spectators.

Ludo grinned around at them all, his chest swelled out and arms outstretched as if in welcome. He was obviously eating up the attention. "The spell revealed two names instead of just one. Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy. Instead of arbitrarily choosing between them, we have decided to use both. Our Mr. Potter will have to retrieve two hostages during this task!"

There was absolute silence. Harry stared up at Bagman with horror and rage splashed across his face. The other champions didn't look much different. They had all assumed an _item_ that meant something to them would be taken not people! This was no joke; they could die! Harry opened his mouth to rage at the stupidity of it all. 

A hand gripped his wrist and he looked over at Viktor. The seventeen-year-old shook his head once, hard. Harry held his peace, glowering at the adults on the stage. He was completely unaware of the stunned mutterings of the crowd and the shocked look on Ron's and the rest of his Gryffindor year mates' face near the front row.

"These precious individuals were handed over to the merpeople of this lake," Bagman continued, his cheerful voice like thunder over the near silent crowd. "The champions have an hour to rescue them. On the count of three, then." He looked down at the champions who were still staring at him in horrified reaction. He didn't seem fazed in the least by the teenagers' hostility. "One… two… _three_!"

The late February day was very cold. If it weren't for the insulation spell, Harry knew he would have been in trouble. The crowd was on its feet, screaming and cheering. Fleur was the first in the water. Viktor was second and had transfigured his head into that of a shark's. Cedric followed Fleur's example and cast the Bubble-Head charm.

Still furious about his friend and brother being put in such danger, Harry was the last to move toward the water. It took all his control not to start flinging spells at the five adult judges who were at fault. He took out the gillyweed and put it in his mouth, practically grinding his teeth as he chewed. His eyes found Severus near the front with the other Hogwarts' teachers. Black eyes bore into him and Harry straightened, taking strength from knowing his mentor was there. Nothing had changed from their plan. He would do what he had to do to keep everyone safe.

He waded into the freezing water and dove in as gills appeared on his throat. The cheers of the crowd were still heard, but they were muffled and distorted. He looked around with eyes that saw clearly despite the gloom. He was still pretty shallow. The muddy lake bottom sloped down away from him into darkness. There were rocks and plants, seaweed and bracken. Everything was still, swaying only occasionally. It was strangely soothing.

Harry used the dolphin-kick Viktor had taught him to propel himself smoothly forward. He kept close to the ground, letting the water rise further and further above his head until he could no longer hear the crowd, until the underwater world was the only one left. He looked about carefully.

There were large bolder-type things and underwater hills that blocked his view. His vision didn't extend more than ten feet or so before darkness clouded his sight. New shapes and creature seemed to suddenly loom out of the dark silence, startling him. Looking for his friends was going to be harder than he thought. He saw fish and other creatures, but no merpeople and none of the other champions. It was like he was the only one left alive. He shivered and swam faster. He was wasting time.

He came upon a large field of light green weed, waving and thrashing as if it were alive. Fleur was there, fighting off a dozen grindylows - small, horned water demons with pointy fangs. They were pulling her down. Harry aimed his wand and heated the water around the creatures with a non-verbal spell. The green-skinned demons shrieked as they turned a blistering red and released the eighteen-year-old girl. Fleur swam up, away from the weeds and gave Harry a thankful wave. Harry grinned back and they swam on together. They came to a stop when the singing started.

" _An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And to recover what we took…_

… _your time's half gone, so tarry not_

_Lest what you seek stays here to rot!"_

Furious, Harry pointed toward where the sound was coming from and the two swam swiftly forward. Harry was pleased to see he could easily keep up with the older girl and blessed Viktor for teaching him how to swim. All such thoughts disappeared as they rounded a huge border and a cluster of crude stone dwellings stained with algae loomed suddenly out of the dark on all sides. The teens froze as merpeople drifted up out of the darkness between the tiny underwater huts.

They looked nothing like the beautiful painting in the prefect's bathroom. They had grayish skin and long wild dark green hair. Their yellow eyes glowed faintly and their two rows of sharp teeth really did recall to mind the mouth of a shark. Like the fairytale, they did have silver fishtails from the waist down and their chests were human-ish, but the muscle structure was different and strange. The women _were_ topless, but it wasn't at all tempting. Each and every one of them had a weapon of some kind: spears, tridents, bone knives. And all of them had their unblinking yellow eyes on Harry with decidedly unfriendly expressions.

Fleur swam forward uncertainly, but the merpeople didn't react. Alone, Harry kicked with one foot and drifted forward, the merpeople tensed and bared their teeth, their weapons rising to point at him. Harry snarled and swam up toward the surface, thinking to swim over the threat. The merpeople reacted instantly and swam up after him with powerful swipes of their tails. There was no contest. They were faster, stronger. Harry was soon surrounded on all sides.

He lashed out with his wand, mentally chanting non-verbal spells, but they didn't have the desired effect. Heating charms did nothing. Cutting curses left shallow scratches in their hard hides. He swam hard, his muscles straining as his new gills fought to pour enough oxygen into his lungs. He needed a plan, but he couldn't think of anything. They obviously wanted something, but Harry wasn’t built for negotiation. He needed Silas; fighting head on wasn't going to get him anywhere.

**Silas!** he called desperately, needing direction.

But it was all happening too fast, too fast for him to listen to Silas's instructions. He put a bolder at his back and tried a blasting curse. It propelled him backward with enough force for stars to explode behind his eyes. He opened them with a scream as a spear burst through his right shoulder and pinned him to the rock.

Two dozen merpeople surrounded him, circling the rock hungrily. A merman stopped swimming long enough to throw another spear. Harry tried to wrench himself away, but he couldn't move. He screamed as it punched through his left shoulder and came put the other side, pinning him to the rock. The circle of merpeople closed in, their eyes bright with glee and hunger, their mouths open to swallow the blood-tainted water.

Harry thrashed and kicked out and a merman seven feet tall bit down on his calf. A spear punched through his right thigh. The pain nearly made him sick; he nearly passed out. He screamed in pain and fear as the monsters leaned forward like starving dogs. He was helpless and knew it. He could hear Boy's screams in his mind and held on desperately. If Boy came Out now, the merpeople would kill him without trouble. Simple as that.

" _Do you remember, Destroyer?"_ a female crooned in his ear with a disgustingly sweet voice. _"Do you remember pouring your hate and anger into the lake, making it boil and howl for you? Do you remember the deaths of my people, my children, as you laughed and sung for more destruction? You killed many of my people. They died screaming, helpless against your rage. Do you remember?"_

" _You owe us pain, little champion,"_ a masculine voice sang in Harry's other ear a spear pierced through his other thigh. Harry convulsed as the pain clawed through all his senses. _"You owe us blood. You owe us your death."_

**xXxXxXx**

For a timeless moment, Silas stood facing Harry. They had been standing on this precipice for a long time without realizing it. Silas had long been called to life, by Draco as his friend, by the political maneuvering and manipulation in their life that only he could counter with any ease. Harry had been reaching for him, needing the balance he provided. Silas needed Harry's warmth, needed Harry to keep him connected to others, to keep him alive and mentally healthy.

They were like distorted mirror images. They stood at the same height, same size and build, but Harry had wild dark hair and green eyes where his was straight and his eyes were blue-gray. Harry was tan to Silas's pale. Harry's mouth carried a warm smile, Silas was cold and expressionless. However, like a mirror image, they reached out at the same time and their hands clasped together.

I don't want to die.

Neville needs me.

Draco needs me.

I don't want to die.

They melted forward, color swirling, images colliding. They tangled together like some strange painting blurring, running together. It stretched on painfully until there were no more images, nothing was left of _them._ There was only _one_.

**xXxXxXx**

The teen's eyes opened, blazing green as he arched up against the spears pinning him to the rock like an insect. His mouth, gaping with silent screams closed and shaped words. The bolder exploded. The merpeople swam away, startled, but did not move far from their prey. Leaving the spears impaling his flesh, the teen turned down and kicked hard. Another whispered word and the ground opened up, forming a burrow.

Hidden, dark and safe, he gasped as the merpeople shrieked their rage. Blind, he opened his other sense, let his empathy bloom open carefully. The merpeople expected him to tunnel away to the hostages, so they swam off, leaving their bloodlust, hate, and hunger behind them like a cloud. Breathing deeply in relief, he grit his teeth against the pain and freed himself, floating above the debris of the bolder he had destroyed.

He ignored Boy's prodding to be let Out. Boy _needed_ to be punished, _needed_ the pain. It was _his_. Always his. It had been so long since he had been punished, since he knew pain. It was time, like the sun rising every day. His mind would disintegrate without pain there to define him. It was good, because he was bad, and pain would make him better. It was for him; pain was always for him…

… The teen shook his head hard and snarled, rejecting Boy's insanity. He **_would not_** merge with him. He couldn't. He was just too broken, the trauma too deep and severe. To accept Boy would be to accept madness and he couldn't afford that. He had to survive. His friends needed him. He had to get them out of here.

He flung Boy away from his mind and reestablished the barriers between them. All the while memories were flashing by him, through him. He ground his teeth again and grabbed the spear in his thigh. He twisted it, letting the pain ground him. He couldn't get lost in his head now. He had to focus! Neville and Draco needed him still. He had to get out of here to safety.

His empathy was still open, and he painfully dragged his attention to what he could sense. The emotion-trail of the merpeople's anger was fading. He had to move quickly. How much time had elapsed? He felt his strength leaving, draining away as the blood trickled out from between wood and flesh. He could hardly swim, but he had to in oder to make it out of this alive.

The huts came into view, spread before him, getting larger and better crafted the closer to the center of the mer-town he got. There in the middle was a huge statue of a merman, and beside it were five tall stakes about thirty feet high. One was empty. He looked up and could just see Cedric disappearing from sight with Cho in his arms.

Looking back at the hostages, he felt rage at his brother's limp form, at Draco's vulnerability, and the sight of Hermione and the little girl tied up so helplessly. He could see the air bubbles around their heads thinning. They were running out of time. He swam forward at a slow pace, tiring quickly. The merpeople howled, screaming. He hastily flung up mental shields, their rage almost making him pass out.

Viktor came between him and the merpeople, casting freezing spells and creating ice blocks. He gestured to Hermione and the green-eyed teen nodded in understanding, freeing the girls, Neville, and Draco - shoving them toward the surface- while the Seeker kept the monsters at bay.

Viktor was suddenly there, grabbing Hermione and pulling her along as he swam quickly to the surface. Snatching Neville by the back of his robes and Draco by the hand, the youngest champion spared the little girl an agonized look, but he couldn't take her, too. He had no time; he couldn't stay down here any longer. The merpeople were coming and he was running out of strength.

He kicked away and up when spike of human terror stopped him. Fleur was swimming with her sister desperately after him, but behind the two blonde girls was a wave of very murderous merpeople. He yelled and shield charms slammed into place beyond Fleur. The merpeople crashed into the invisible barrier, screeching at him furiously. He grinned bloodily, having bit through his own lip.

Fleur was twenty feet or so above his head. His friends were getting heavier, pulling on his arms which _hurt_! He felt the shields give. He had no more magic left to recreate them. Then he felt the bubble of air around his friends disappear, and he knew his brother and best friend were now drowning, dying.

Slowly the gillyweed ran out of his system and he was drowning, too. Cold, burning cold water poured down his throat, filled his lungs, and he had nothing left to fight with. Terrified, he cried out, releasing his friends and thrashing in panic. Merpeople screamed their victory, rising up to kill him. It hurt! HE DIDN’T WANT TO DIE! Blackness and pain crowded in and…

A strong hand wrapped around his wrist.

He was pulled to the surface, broke through the water with a huge gasp and splash. He turned and stared into black eyes. Severus was cradling him to his chest, lank hair soaking wet, in nothing more than pants and a black T-shirt. Severus’s skinny, pale arms were white against his tan skin. Coughing up water, gasping, crying, he clung to his teacher, so thankful to be alive, so grateful that Severus cared about him enough to save him.

He looked and saw all the judges, headmasters/mistresses, teachers were all on the bank, on their feet with worried expressions, but none of them were out here, protecting him, saving him. They stood there watching like he was the best fucking entertainment around. He hated them in that moment. Overwhelmed, he desperately wrapped his arms around his teacher's neck, ignoring the pain it cost to do so, and fainted.

**xXxXxXx**

As the champions dove into the water, Dumbledore cast a spell over the lake, giving the crowd four blurry pictures of the champions and what they were facing. Severus found the circle that followed Harry and watched it with wide, watchful eyes. He had not been told about this task. None of the teachers had. The look on Harry's face, of rage and betrayal, still burned in his mind. He wanted to tell Harry that the children wouldn't die if he failed. Dumbledore would have a back-up plan to save the hostages. They couldn't kill children not involved in the tournament. 

Speaking of, Severus was shocked that Draco had been equal to Neville. He knew the spell the judges had cast. It picked the most important person to the target that is closest to the target's age. Severus suspected that the spell had taken the person closest to both Harry and Silas, but should that be the case, why would Silas feel anything for Draco Malfoy? Obviously, something was going on that he didn't know about. Just when he thought he was making progress with Silas, his ignorance was shoved in his face. As always two steps forward and one step back with the Slytherin. It was maddening.

He watched the circle like a hawk. He wasn't surprised when Harry rescued Delacour from the grindylows, but he frowned when the two met the ring of hostile merpeople. Dread settled in his chest and he cleared his mind, allowing the fear to surface in his conscious thoughts…. Something about merpeople… 

Slowly the revelation came clear…Last year, the Dark storm… the lake rising and boiling, horrible screams, later being told of the death of many merpeople, Dumbledore having to promise much to get them to stay… His eyes widened and he made his way through the crowd and swiftly to the headmaster's side.

"Potter is in danger," he whispered harshly. "He needs to be removed."

"Nonsense, my boy.” The old man twinkled up at him happily. "Harry can well take care of himself. As you know."

"Headmaster, I'm serious. The merpeople will not follow the rules. They will do everything in their power to kill him."

Dumbledore looked into his eyes, his glasses low on his nose and the sun shining on his silver hair. "This will be a good experience for him. Gabriel will be fine."

Severus opened his mouth, his face twisted in rage and hatred for the man before him. He spun around when he heard the screams, his robes swirling around his legs, to see the crowd staring with fascinated horror at the large circle portraying Harry's struggle. He was swimming for his life, wand in hand, the merpeople looking vicious and monstrous as they corralled and tormented the teen. Severus stood rigid as Harry put his back to a bolder and then was impaled, pinned there like a lab specimen.

He strode toward the water, banishing his robes and shoes back into his quarters. His foot just hit the icy water when he was frozen in place. Silently hissing his fury, his magic fought the binding placed on him. He tore at it viciously, invisible claws ripping and tearing, but Dumbledore's magic just regrew like living vines. Harry was down there! He was going to die if something wasn't done!

The silent battle waged and he was losing. Severus's mind raced as he pulled all his magic in close, conserving it, hunting for weaknesses in his prison, when it suddenly snapped. He spun to see Lupin standing behind Dumbledore with his wand raised and cursing the old man. Severus knew the reprieve wouldn't last long and he dove quickly into the water before Dumbledore regained his bearings and bound him again.

The water was freezing and he quickly cast an insulation charm. He swam on top of the water, cutting through it smoothly with even strokes. The crowd was roaring and screaming, but Severus ignored it. He ignored everything. All his concentration went to the Point Me spell burning in his mind. He was about at the middle of the lake when Diggory came up with Chang.

"Sir?" the Hufflepuff squawked.

"Get out of the water, now!" he snapped and the teen paled before quickly swimming for shore.

Severus cast the Bubble-Head charm and went under. Krum swam past with Granger. The professional Seeker didn't even slow as they passed. Severus could see why. About forty merpeople in a blood rage were swarming up out of the darkness of the lake, chasing the two remaining champions and the three unconscious hostages.

Delacour was ahead of Harry. She had her sister and was swimming like demons were on her tail. Harry was struggling with his two hostages and hadn't seen him yet. He let go and began to thrash, obviously drowning. Draco and Neville had woken and were doing the same. Severus quickly cast a large shield, holding the merpeople at bay as he grabbed onto Harry's wrist. He was just about to grab another teen when Lupin appeared at his side and grabbed both Draco and Neville. Severus kicked hard for the surface.

The crowd was screaming manically when they broke the surface, but all Severus's attention was on his charge in his arms. Harry was gasping and coughing violently, shaking with the deadly cold. Short spears were sticking out of his shoulders, piercing him all the way through, and if Severus was right, it felt like there were at least two more in his legs. He cast a quick warming spell followed by the insulation spell and was shocked when the still coughing teen turned in his embrace to look him in the eyes. Harry lifted his arms, crying out in agony, and wrapped them around Severus's neck like a desperate child before passing out completely.

Severus's arms tightened protectively around the small teen and began kicking for the closest shore. Lupin was swimming on his back a few feet from him with Draco and Neville. They were confused and having a hard time swimming in their robes. As they waded up to the shore about three hundred yards from the judges table, Neville came running over to help with Harry.

"W-w-what-t-t's hap-p-pening-g-g?" the teen demanded. His eyes were huge in his face as he watched Severus lay Harry out on the grass. He had horrible spears sticking out of both shoulders and thighs.

"For the Second Task," Lupin began to explain, "a person who is closest to each champion is taken to be rescued. Both you and Mr. Malfoy were revealed for Harry."

"H-h-he's h-h-hur-t-t-t?" Neville stuttered. He was still shivering with cold and his lips were blue.

Draco didn't look much better, but he stood silent, his gray eyes staring at Harry as Severus pulled one of the spears out. The teen arched, coming awake with a scream. Draco moved without thought and cast a spell to hold him in place. Severus didn't look up to acknowledge the help. He just quickly pulled out the second, then the third, and fourth.

"He'll be fine," Lupin answered Neville and was casting spells of his own on all three teens to warm them up.

Pomfrey finally arrived on the scene and pushed Severus to the side as she began to cast healing spells. McGonagall and Dumbledore came next, both putting blankets around Neville and Draco. Lupin declined his and Severus just stared blankly at the headmaster as the judges ran up behind them. The crowd was still screaming, but when Bagman cast Sonorous everyone fell silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision regarding the champion's scores. Out of fifty, we award Fleur Delacour twenty-five points. She was the last to reach her hostage and was trapped by grindylows twice, needing help both times from other champions to be free of them.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, was the third to reach the hostages, but was the second to return, coming in four minutes outside the time limit. Also, he helped a fellow champion against the grindylows and assisted in blocking the merpeople’s attack, therefore we give him forty points.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed and reached the hostages second. He came in last and needed help from his professors, but he also faced more violent hostility from the merpeople than the other champions as well as had an extra hostage to rescue. Considering these disadvantages and the fact that he helped his fellow champions as much as he could, we award him thirty-five points.

"The winner of the second task is Cedric Diggory. He used a successful Bubble-Head charm, was the first to reach the hostages and to return only a minute outside the time limit of an hour. We award him forty-seven points!"

Bagman paused, allowing the screams and cheers of the crowd to die down before trying to shout over them. "The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June. The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions!"

Severus ignored the deafening chaos and looked to Madam Pomfrey as she hovered Harry into the air. He was right on her heals as the matron quickly made her way back to school. Remus took both Draco and Neville by the shoulder and bustled them after the three. Neither of the teens protested.

They had just reached the Infirmary when Dumbledore grabbed Severus by the arm and firmly guided him to the empty room next door. The powerful wizard didn't even bother with his wand as he cast strong locking, privacy, and silencing spells around the room. Severus stood like a soldier in the middle of the room, waiting for the inevitable attack. He was still wet, his pants and shirt still soaked and clinging to his chilled skin. He looked straight ahead, Occluding like mad, and doing everything he could to hide the shivers wracking his body.

"What was that out there, Severus?" Dumbledore asked softly, reminding the man strongly of a young and sane Voldemort. The ancient wizard paced forward, his eyes hard, his hair long and free. "How dare you act so imprudently! I demand an explanation, Severus, and it better be good."

"It was obvious the merpeople were not going to stop until Potter was dead. I have an obligation to keep him alive through the life-debt I owe his father. I could not stand by and do nothing while watching him be murdered."

"He was fine, Severus. I gave you a direct order not to interfere," Dumbledore said coldly. "I will not allow Harry to die until he has completed his task. Do you doubt me?"

"He managed to escape the merpeople, but he was drowning when I reached him. He would not have made it to the surface," Severus argued softly.

"I would have pulled him out before that happened. He was still conscious. There was still a chance for him to act," Dumbledore answered furiously. He slammed his hand against the wall and the floor rolled. "Why did Draco Malfoy's name come out of that spell? What do you know, Severus?" He came forward and grabbed the man's chin in his bony hands, his blue eyes boring into black. "Lower your shields or I will be forced to believe you have something to hide."

Severus stared into the eyes that he had once trusted beyond question and quickly sent his hate, his discontent, and all his knowledge of the political sabotage he had orchestrated against the headmaster deep down in his mind under several layers of his Occlumency. He opened one barrier and another and another as the headmaster plundered his thoughts, all the while looking for incriminating thoughts and important information about Harry. He gave Dumbledore nothing the old man didn't already know.

"You will find out about their relationship," Dumbledore rumbled. His magic swept about him in controlled waves, pressing against Severus and making him submit under the greater power. "You will report to me every night, Severus. I fear you are losing your footing once again." Dumbledore released him and turned away. "Maybe I will have you go to Azkaban and pick up a report I need, just to remind you of the price falling away from the Light will cost you."

"I will go if you need me to," Severus answered evenly.

Dumbledore left him without another word, his anger still crackling around him. 

Severus staggered to the side and leaned against the rough stone wall. His mind felt like it was bleeding from the careless attack by the headmaster. Shaking, he managed to pull together his mask of indifference. A few minutes later he cast drying charms and summoned his shoes and robes before making his way back to the Infirmary.

Poppy was working over Harry still. Lupin was standing nearby, his arm still around Neville. The chubby Gryffindor was leaning into the werewolf's side and looked frightened as well as angry. Draco was a few beds away. He was looking away from the commotion around Harry, but he was obviously affected. Severus had never seen him sit so still or silent for so long. He made his way over. 

"Draco, have you been seen to?"

The blond looked up at him with guarded eyes. The arrogant superiority was gone from his continence, leaving behind a shrewd and wary expression. He nodded once. Severus was instantly aware that he needed to tread carefully.

"I was not aware you had any relationship with Mr. Potter beyond that of a bitter rivalry."

Draco's face closed off, his eyes going remote. "As you say, sir."

Severus knew he wasn't going to get anything out of the teen. Thankfully he had an excuse to leave off questioning him as Poppy sighed and stepped away from her patient. Severus made his way to her side. Lupin and Neville were equally tense, waiting for news. Severus caught Draco leaning forward, holding his breath, out of the corner of his eyes.

"I've done all I can for now, but he will still need several days to recover," Poppy said tiredly, covering the unconscious teen with a blanket. "The spears in his shoulders did mild damage, but his thighs… I'm afraid an artery was severed in both. If there are no complications during treatment he should fully recover, but only if he rests and doesn't strain himself."

"Thank you, Poppy.” Lupin smiled warmly. "Is there anything we can do?"

"I will need potions," the medi-witch admitted, looking to Severus.

"You will have them.” He inclined his head. "And the condition of my student?"

She glanced over at Draco. "He and Mr. Longbottom are fine and free to leave. They should get plenty of rest and keep warm, otherwise they are likely to come down with a cold."

"I will see to it.” Severus gestured for Draco to come and the blond moved reluctantly to his side. "I will return later with the potions you need."

"Thank you, Severus," the witch answered absently, already checking over Harry again.

**xXxXxXx**

It was almost two in the morning. Pomfrey was in her quarters; the hospital wing was silent and dark. It was as if the castle itself was sleeping. The peace, the stillness was a balm to his twisting thoughts. There was so much to go through, to adapt. Especially when it came to feelings… 

He liked Remus as a friend, but the man didn't really understand him. He was clumsy and uncomfortable with him having DID. Remus would be there for him, but he couldn't give him the support he needed. Remus was a better match for Neville. As for Sirius, he resented the man for never coming for him, for putting revenge first, but he also sympathized with his suffering and was willing to try to at least be friend to the man. 

Severus was in a category of his own, making him feel so many conflicting emotions it almost made him dizzy. He trusted the man completely. Trusted him to help guide him, to protect him, and to care for him. He loved Severus like a father, but with that came the need to prove his independence, his worthiness, to the man. He didn't want to appear weak before him. He also felt terrified that Severus would betray him someday. He didn’t think he would survive it. The man wielded too much power over him. 

Then there were his peers… On one hand, he knew Hermione and Ron meant well and stuck with him when given a chance, but on the other he really hated their childish attitudes. They expected him to act a certain way, expected the world to be a certain way, and were upset when things deviated from their preconceptions. He wanted to give them a chance, he really did, but he knew he wasn't willing to put up with any more childish tantrums from them. It just wasn't worth the effort.

Neville was his brother. Nothing would change that, but would Neville feel the same now that he was a good part Silas? Then there was Draco… Draco tied him in knots. The teen was funny, clever, and they thought alike. He didn't want to stop being Draco's friend, but it might not be up to him now. Draco may never forgive him for letting him believe he was Harry’s twin brother.

But he had to _try_ to salvage the things he liked about his life. He knew everything was going to change now. For better or worse, he was whole, his personality was no longer fractured. Only the broken parts of himself were missing. Everything was different. Everything seemed more dangerous. He didn't even know what to call himself anymore.

There was no escaping the name Harry. To the world, he was Harry Potter, but he hated that image. He hated the obligation of being hero, of being put in a spotlight and devoured by society. He had no qualms about protecting himself or his friends and family if something were to attack him. And he really hated Voldemort and wouldn't refrain from taking a shot at the monster if he could, but he had no desire to protected _everybody_. He had no desire to die on a battlefield. He had no desire to fight in a war over Purebloods and Muggleborns. 

But he wasn't Silas anymore, either. He was still wary of trusting others, wary of giving people power over him, but at the same time he knew how much he needed friends, needed his makeshift family. Remembering the isolation he had backed himself into as Silas now brought chills to his spine. It was a cold and lonely way to live, and he couldn't do that again. 

He had so much to think about, so much to consider. Even after sitting here for almost five hours, thinking and soul-searching, he still felt helplessly tangled up inside. Unsure of himself and everyone around him. Crawling out of the hospital bed, Harry went to the back of the room by the tall windows.

He pulled off his necklace and spelled the piano into its rightful size. Casting wards to keep anyone from hearing him, he sat down and just stared at the keys. He felt a warmth of pleasure, knowing he loved to play, but also a strange sense of not knowing how. He closed his eyes tight. He pushed down, just letting the deep note resonate. Then another and another. The song emerged slowly, but soon his whole body swayed as he let it consume his attention.

He played until the sun rose over the horizon and cut painfully into his eyes. Regretfully, he stilled and caught his breath, wiping sweat from his face. A quick incantation had his necklace returned to him. He was just getting back into bed when Pomfrey arrived with breakfast. She smiled at him and he managed an empty smile in return, listening to her nonsense chatter as he finished his meal. When he was done, she gave him his potion and told him to get more sleep. He sighed, rolled onto his side and closed his eyes, his mind beginning to race and dissect himself once again.

**xXxXxXx**

He had two visitors that day. The first was Dumbledore. The headmaster came after dinner and it was safe to assume that his emotions about the headmaster weren't conflicted in the least. He hated the man and would be glad to be free of him as soon as he could. His plan was to take as much as he could from the bastard and give nothing in return, so when the headmaster came bearing down on him with a benign smile and a thousand questions, he was ready to wiggle his way to enigmatic answers.

"Harry, my boy.” The old man beamed as he settled down into a comfortable chair he had transfigured beside the teen's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Still a bit tired," Harry answered with a neutral smile, his mind racing as he quickly considered how best to play the situation.

"That is to be expected." Dumbledore pat his knee with a tender expression. "Do you know why the merpeople were so violent with you, my boy?"

"No, sir. Did they tell you why?" Harry didn't have to feign curiosity. He was anxious to know if the headmaster had figured out about Demon and the storm last year.

Dumbledore stared hard at the young teen but maintained his friendly expression. "The leader of the merfolk explained that they feel they need recommendation for the deaths they suffered last year during the Dark Storm. I'm afraid they have chosen you to pay."

"But why?" Harry bunched his face into a baffled frown, his heart beginning to pound. He was just so tired! He couldn't tell if he was overplaying his hand or not. So much was riding on his performance during this interrogation. His eyes went wide with anxiety, but thankfully that only helped his case.

"I do not know," Dumbledore said soothingly. "I have had a conference with her and she has promised to harm no one else. We will just have to be careful to keep you out of reach of the lake."

Harry closed his eyes, his temper fraying as the old man laughed as if he had just made some hilarious joke. He was glad to know the headmaster thought his safety was such a light matter. Maybe if he pretended to be asleep… But no, the bastard was shaking his shoulder and asking to know why Draco's name had been revealed by the spell as well as Neville. Thankfully, he had already thought of a cover story for that.

"I don't know, sir." Harry opened his green eyes and daringly met the headmaster's gaze. "Maybe because we are rivals and the rivalry is important to me. It's all really strange, but I've been thinking about it and it would be really weird if Malfoy wasn't around. I'd feel like something was wrong or missing. We're kinda like opposites. Does that make sense?"

"I understand completely.” Dumbledore smiled and Harry relaxed with relief. "It is only natural to define ourselves by our opposites. That possibility never occurred to me. We just assume that the spell would only pick up on positive relationships as the most important one and not negative ones. For someone in your position, the person who helps you sharpen your fighting skills would be important. I do believe you're right, my boy. You are very clever to have figured it out.”

"Thank you, sir." Harry ducked his head as if to hide a blush, but really he was just desperate to get the man to stop patting him on the head. He wasn't a dog, for god's sake!

"Headmaster, my patient needs lots of rest. He is still recovering.” Pomfrey chose that moment to arrive and Harry sighed in relief as the manipulating bastard was herded out of the room.

**xXxXxXx**

Draco had come to the Hospital Wing expecting Potter to laugh at him, to boast about using him and fooling him. He had walked into the dark, silent room expecting to use a very Dark curse to cause the hated Gryffindor a lot of pain for manipulating him. _Him_! Draco Malfoy! How dare he? Rage scorched his veins until he could hardly breathe. His hands were trembling at his sides and his knuckles were white as they held his wand.

He was hardly prepared for the speed at which the Gryffindor moved. Between one eye blink and the next, Potter was laying still in sleep. Then, without seeing the transition, he was sitting up, his green eyes wide and glinting in the light, his arm rock steady and pointing a wand at Draco's throat. 

Strangely, Draco felt his stomach drop in disappointment. _So it's true,_ a small voice whispered in his mind, _he had no friends here._

"Draco!" Potter gasped, shocked. "What are you doing here? What time is it?"

The sound of that poisonous voice shattered the momentary hurt and the rage came flooding back. "I believe you owe me some answers, Potter."

He was pleased to have his back to the window. It masked his face, but it also faintly illuminated Potter's. It put him at an advantage, but as the Gryffindor's face softened with exhaustion and something unnamable, his wand dropping limply in his lap, Draco feared being able to see Potter's face wasn't an advantage at all. He was at risk of being pulled into the detestable lies once again. 

Silently snarling, Draco raised his wand slightly, still keeping it out of sight and bared his teeth. He wouldn't be tricked again.

"Yeah. I know," Potter said softly, roughly rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair.

Draco watched, tense with anger and suspicion, as the Gryffindor moved back against the headboard and crossed his legs Indian style. He viciously squashed any worry as he watched Potter's trembling hand reach for his glasses on the bedside table and slip them on over darkly circled eyes. The white bandages shone under the hospital shirt on his shoulders. Draco knew there would be matching bandages on his thighs. He firmly told himself that the tightening of his stomach was pleasure at the thought of the hated Halfblood's pain.

"I wasn't playing games with you," Potter began. Draco snorted in disbelief and the green eyes glared at him. "I didn't, Draco. I'd like to remind you that you're the one that came up with the whole secret identical twin brother thing. I let you believe it because that was as close to the truth as I could come with you."

"What do you mean?" Draco hissed icily, furious and mortified at the reminder of the story he had thought himself so clever for coming up with. Twin brothers, indeed! He ground his teeth audibly. To the Gryffindor's credit, he didn't smile at the noise.

"Look…" Potter bit his lip, but then visibly forced himself to straighten. "I… This is hard, alright. Just… give me a chance to explain."

Draco had no idea what the Gryffindor was playing at now. This wasn't going at all how he thought it would. Frustrated, Draco didn't know whether to just curse him now and walk away or let Potter dig himself deeper. Finally, he narrowed his eyes and hissed, "Start talking."

"You're not making this easy.” Potter sighed and ran his hands through his messy hair again.

Draco stared coldly at the lightning bolt scar that was revealed. Was that some ploy to remind him of his political and magical power? Draco let out a low breath, darkly amused that Silas… No! _Potter_!… thought he'd be so easily intimidated. "I don't intend to make this painless for you," he answered smoothly, hurtfully.

"Yeah, I get it." The Gryffindor closed his eyes and sat silent for a long second. Draco was just about to snap at him when he began to talk. "I'm… damaged. My mind, that is. It's…"

Draco watched Potter struggle for words and suddenly felt like things were tipping out of his control. What was the bastard saying? And why the fuck should he believe a word of it? But he couldn't help the loosening of his muscles as he watched the Gryffindor's face. Couldn't help but listen as Potter's body visibly coiled with tension.

"Bad things happened to me," Potter finally rasped. His eyes flashed with a familiar icy threat as he added, “and, no, I don't want to tell you about them now, but it did something in my head." Potter looked away, his hands clenched so tightly in the sheet on either side of him, Draco thought he could hear it rip. "I kinda fractured my personality so that I wouldn't be insane, so I could function as if the bad things that should have made me insane hadn’t happened. I broke my mind into pieces, each with their own personality, as if I were several different people at once and those personalities took turns coming to the surface."

"This is ridiculous," Draco spat disgustedly. His heart was pounding in his chest. "I want the truth, Potter, not more lies!"

"What did you expect, Draco?" the Gryffindor shot back hotly. "Me to tell you that I've just been acting, pretending to be Slytherin at night and pretending to be Gryffindor during the day? That I deliberately lied to you and played with you? Well, it's not true! Silas was an alter, the main one. Harry was the Host alter. Silas and Harry wrote to each other, talked to each other, fucking argued. We acted like different fucking people. We had different opinions and everything! You _know_ that! No one is that good of an actor!"

The silence that followed the passionate rant was broken by the harsh breathing of them both. Draco didn't know what to think anymore. It was just too much. Harry was staring at him and he wondered what the other teen could see. 

Eventually they both began to calm. It was Harry who spoke first. "Down in that lake, I was dying," he said softly, almost a whisper. "I was going to _die_ , Draco, and I couldn't survive as just Harry. I needed Silas's ability to negotiate and to escape, but I still needed Harry's combat skills. I needed both at once and I finally let go. I finally let my two selves come together because it was that or I was going to die."

Draco began to believe him and that frightened him more than anything else. If what Harry was saying was true… Merlin. To have your sanity, your sense of self be so fractured, so completely broken… It was horrible. Draco knew their relationship had been built on quicksand from the beginning. He knew when he had thrown more into it than just associates that he was setting himself up for a deep fall, but this… What the fuck was he suppose to do with this?

"So Silas is really gone? Gone for good?" Draco finally asked, his voice expressionless.

"No," Harry answered, huddled against the headboard, obviously exhausted with eyes suspiciously wet. "I'm _still_ Silas. I'm just also Gryffindor Harry. I'm both." His posture shifted, becoming defensive, and his voice turned cold as his mouth slid into a sneer. "Forgive me for not telling you the truth sooner since you pride truth so very much. Forgive me, Draco, for this being so fucked up, but as strange as it is for you, imagine _being_ me!"

"Calm down," Draco drawled, suddenly not at all happy with the distress he was causing. "You're going to explode if you keep it up."

"If you could see my glare clearly right now, you'd be very afraid."

"I'm sure," Draco answered breezily.

Harry cracked and began to laugh quietly. 

Draco smiled back and sat silently at the end of the bed. He still couldn't grasp it. To be told that his friend's sanity had been shattered, that all this time he had been suffering from a horrible mental condition that made him into several different people, it was unbelievable.

"So, does this bother you, Draco?" Harry asked with a teasing smile. "That you're friends with a Gryffindor. You can't hide behind Silas anymore."

"Please," Draco scoffed, playing along. "If Silas is any part of you, then you are no Gryffindor."

"True. I'll give you that. The Hat originally wanted me in Slytherin." Harry yawned, slumping a bit as his eyes fell half shut. His smile turned wry as he looked at Draco sideways. "I have a feeling this conversation would have gone completely different if you hadn't come when I was completely exhausted and could hardly think straight. Very Slytherin of you," he finished on another yawn.

"That was a very unsubtle hint," Draco chided. "I get it that you want me to go, already."

"I really am exhausted," Harry shrugged and settled down in bed as soon as Draco stood. " _Maybe_ explain my condition in better detail later."

"No maybe about it," Draco mock growled. He turned to leave, but hesitated. "What should I call you?"

"I think I'm coming to terms with being Harry Potter. I'm not just Silas by any means anymore, but…" he bit his lip. Draco was surprised at the shy expression that came over the Slythindor's face. "When we're alone, I'd like to be Shadow,” he said, referring to the pen name they had used over the summer.

Draco felt a smile pull across his face and something warm settled in his chest. He wasn't sure where he would stand with this new Harry, but two things gave him hope. The first was that the spell had named him as well as Longbottom as being closest to Harry. Not Weasley, not Granger. And second, by asking to be called by his penname, the name he had created just to talk to him in their letters over the summer, reinforced that he was still Silas. It reassured him that not everything had been a lie.

“Alright," Draco answered softly. "Goodnight, Shadow." And he slipped silently from the infirmary.

**xXxXxXx**

"You have one seriously messed up kid, you know that?"

Severus sat up with a gasp, his arm snapping around and aiming his wand at the sudden voice. His sleeping mind struggled to catch up to his body, but it was hard. He hadn't been sleeping well lately. He hissed a Lumos.

"Salazar," he stated darkly. 

The phantom was smiling manically, standing at the end of his four poster bed. The room was dark with midnight blue walls and carpet. The bed itself had black sheets and pillows with a dark blue comforter. There was a single nightstand and an open closet door, otherwise the room was bare.

"You're not very clever in the morning, Severus. Do you always state the obvious?" the phantom teen asked, a smirk of unholy joy on his monkey-like face.

Severus would have cursed him if he thought it would have done any good. "Just say what you want and be gone, you stupid pile of rocks."

"Ooooh. Is someone upset?" The teen shrugged, his brown eyes dancing. "If you don't want my information… I understand. I'll just leave you then…"

"What do you know and what do you want for the information?" Severus asked disdainfully. Realizing that he wasn't about to get anymore sleep, he grabbed his silk robe and got out of bed. He walked past the smug phantom and stalked through his sitting room to the small kitchen, intent on getting some strong black tea.

"I'm hurt," Salazar cooed, a long-fingered hand poised over his heart. He floated after the man, not even bothering with an illusion that would make him appear to be walking. "I thought we were friends. Would a friend demand something in exchange for help?"

"Salazar, you’re really pushing it," Severus murmured, eyeing the teen over his cup of tea. He moved to the small, oak-wood table that stood in the middle of his kitchen and sat in one of the two plain chairs.

"Am I?" Salazar grinned and took a seat across the Potion Master.

Severus was starting to get worried. The mere fact that it was Salazar appearing to him of all four phantoms hinted that it was something to do with Harry. Severus knew how tired Harry was. Merlin, Severus was tired himself. Too much had happened too quickly. He sighed and waved his wand: _5:00am, Friday, February 26th._ He closed his eyes against the information. For some reason knowing exactly how early it was made him feel twice as exhausted. 

"Why did you wake me up so early? Is it an emergency?"

"Perhaps," Salazar answered lazily. "I just thought you might want time to prepare and consider what you are going to do. Harry gets out of the Hospital Wing Sunday, right?"

"If he continues to heal at the pace he is.” Severus opened an eye and studied the phantom. The teen looked to be getting more serious, but his dark eyes were still dancing with glee.

"You will definitely need this time to do some research," Salazar nodded to himself. "You should thank me."

"You haven't told me anything yet," Severus pointed out.

"True, but you haven't agreed to my terms yet either.” Salazar smiled ruthlessly.

Severus slammed his hand on the table irritably. "State them and be done."

"In exchange for my information, you will take steps to reduce the hostility of Slytherin House toward Draco Malfoy. Agreed?"

Draco? Severus kept a blank face but inside he was frowning. Again Draco had appeared in the middle of this mess. "What hostility?"

"I'm sure you can figure that out." The phantom stood and walked over to the bookcase nearby, pretending great interest in the volumes.

"Agreed," Severus snarled. “Now what do you know?"

"The mind is fascinating, don't you think?" The teen turned and met his eyes. "Just fascinating. Harry in particular. His condition is spectacular. Truly extraordinary and quite brilliant."

"Salazar…" Severus warned, standing and glaring fiercely.

"The incident down in the lake is another example. He should have died down there. Instead, Harry's need to survive prevailed again." Salazar smiled up at the man. "Haven't you guessed it yet? When Harry escaped the merpeople, he still went after the hostages instead of fleeing entirely. Strange because he was obviously using Silas's traits to escape and refused to engage the enemy, keeping them back by shield. Not very Gryffindor is it? But he wouldn't leave without his hostages. Very Gryffindor, that. Of course the headmaster wasn't going to allow the students to die. The parents would not sit quietly for that. Silas should have figured it out, but of course Harry was in charge and not the Slytherin. Or was he? It was very Slytherin for him to leave Fleur's sister down there to die. There was nothing else he could do, but Harry should have agonized over that choice, wouldn't he?"

"Merlin," Severus whispered, eyes wide, and fell back into his seat.

“Yes." Salazar smiled hungrily. "They merged. All the dominate personalities are finally reunited, but unfortunately it isn't quite as wonderful as it should be. The merge was forced by the pressure of the situation. Silas wasn't completely ready for this step. He's a bit conflicted at the moment, and that's putting it mildly."

"Why are you so happy about that?" Severus snarled, his temper flaring again. He clenched his hands on the wooden table and had to fight his instincts that demanded he draw on the phantom with painful hexes on his lips.

"Because it's fascinating." Salazar shrugged. "I'm enjoying studying him. I'm not responsible for this setback nor the tangles of his traumatized mind. I feel no guilt in observing the results. I am also pleased because his Occlumency barriers are weak, allowing me to get a closer look. He's barely able to contain his empathy."

Severus ignored the annoying spirit and hurried into his bedroom. He dressed quickly and grabbed his teaching robes. When he came back into his sitting room, the phantom was gone. He swept from his quarters and into the hall. It took him just under fifteen minutes to reach the infirmary. He was very glad that no one was up yet.

He walked as silently as he could across the large room. All the little white beds were empty except for the one in the back by the bathroom door. The door to Poppy's office was at the front of the room by the entrance. Hopefully she wouldn't hear them talking.

Harry was sleeping on his side with one hand tucked up underneath his pillow, no doubt clutching his wand. His knees were pulled halfway up toward his chest. Severus began to worry. He had seen Harry sleep many times. Before Gabriel merged with him, Harry lay on his back, loose and relaxed, utterly carefree. After Gabriel, the teen still slept easily, but his hands were always near his wand. But actually clutching it? The way the young teen slept now was obviously defensive. Like he expected to be attacked any moment. It was fearful and uncertain.

Severus tried to imagine being Silas. Intelligent, suspicious, paranoid, terrified of being used again, suspicious of his own instincts since they had played him false with Lockhart; Silas was comforted by hiding in the shadows. He didn't want attention and he hated with all his heart the demands the Wizarding world had for Harry Potter. Now he was front and center with nowhere left to hide. His protective indifference was now shattered with the deep, warm emotions that Rose and Harry possessed. Plus, Gabriel would make him feel responsible for others and that must be terrifying to someone like Silas.

"Sev'rus?"

The sleepy voice brought him out of his thoughts and he looked down to find two sleepy green eyes peering up at him. Harry's wand was no longer under the pillow but instead rested in his hand on the mattress, ready to point at a second's notice. But as the teen recognized him after squinting for a bit, Harry's wand hand relaxed and he uncurled a bit.

Severus was shocked. The amount of trust those moves spoke of was humbling. He was feeling a bit out of his depth. It was too late now to leave, however, so he straightened and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Okay," Harry answered just as softly. He moved and sat up, crossing his legs and running a hand through his wild, messy hair. He tugged at it with a frown before reaching for his glasses and looking up at him again. "The gashes were healed a few hours after I got here, but the spells ensuring my arteries are fixed without lingering damage are still working. They make me tire quickly, but I can walk and move just fine."

"I believe you will be released Sunday?" Severus asked, still watching the teen closely. He couldn't see much in the pre-dawn light, but Harry looked drawn and pale.

"Yeah." Harry shrugged, but Severus saw the apprehension in his eyes. He didn't want to go back to class.

Severus took a seat at the end of the hospital bed. Harry followed him with his eyes and moved his body to face him. A good sign. At least he wasn't retreating. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked softly.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry felt strangely like breaking down in tears as he met his mentor's accepting gaze. He wrapped his arms around his chest and bit his lip hard. He'd been thinking about how he felt and organizing his memories ever since he had woken up here two days ago, but now it was hitting him as hard as it had when it had just happened. He crumbled, folding over his legs. He gasped softly, trying to regain control, but it was no use. A warm hand settled on his shoulder. It was bracing and he leaned into it as the emotional storm passed.

Wiping his face discreetly, Harry sat up again, not meeting his mentor's eyes. Severus's hand retreated, but it remained between them in case it was needed again. Harry smiled at that. It wasn't so long ago that Severus was uncomfortable with any physical contact. Maybe they were both making some progress. He laughed bitterly and rubbed at his eyes under his glasses.

"Sorry," he finally spoke. His voice was tight and hoarse, which was strange since he hadn't been making much noise.

"I suspect that your emotions will be unstable for a while," Severus answered evenly, his voice smooth and low.

"God, shoot me now," Harry joked and met his teacher's eyes. He was surprised at the worry he saw in them. "I'm fine, Severus. Really… I just have to… think about things, you know?"

"I'm sure," his teacher whispered.

"You want me to talk about this?" Harry tensed. He wasn't really ready yet to verbalize the chaos inside him right now.

"When you are ready." Severus bowed his head. "I am here to listen to whatever you want to say. I am here for you."

Harry bit his lip again as a wave of love and gratitude exploded inside his chest. He reached forward with trembling fingers and grabbed his mentor's hand. He held to it tightly, shocked that Severus let him, but more surprised that he, himself, could bear it. 

"Thank you," he said softly, eyes staring at their joined hands. "For coming and saving me. I'm aware the Headmaster must not have been too pleased with you."

"It was nothing," Severus quickly dismissed. He moved to wave his hand but aborted the motion when Harry didn't let go of it. He shifted uncomfortably across from the teen, and Harry smiled fondly up at his teacher. Severus cleared his throat. "Can I get you anything?"

Harry shook his head but then hesitated. "Actually, I think you're right. My emotions are a bit… wild. I don't think it's natural how quickly they swing from one thing to another. Is there a potion I could have to help me with it?"

"There is," Severus admitted, "but I don't think it is wise to mute your emotions. They let you know that there are issues you need to face." He held up his free hand when Harry opened his mouth to protest. "I will give you a few vials and you will take a mild dose before class, but I want you to use it as sparingly as possible. Agreed?"

"Yes." Harry sighed and released his teacher. He moved backward so he could lean back against the headboard.

"I will also help you work on your Occlumency shielding. That should help as well," Severus offered.

"My shields? But I am shielding.” Harry frowned. He closed his eyes and examined his barriers. They were there like always. A familiar presence brushed against them and he only hesitated a second before allowing Severus into his mind. He gasped in surprise when his teacher deftly took control of his barriers. The sheer relief that swept through him as he let go of his shields was staggering. He had no idea how much he was straining to maintain them before now.

Slowly, softly, Severus spun strong, tight shields in his mind. Harry followed him, watching and learning. His mind was so much bigger now. It was filled to the brim with thoughts and feelings, often conflicting. It was like he contained an ocean within himself. Deep and almost as unfathomable.

And down in the dark, down so deep that there was no light at all, there were two doors. Harry could feel their outlines with his mental fingers. Severus was behind him and they shared a wave of apprehension. Demon and Boy were much further down in the subconscious now that he was relatively whole, but they would not be contained forever.

Harry felt dread, but before he could dwell on it, Severus was gently tugging him back to the surface of his mind. They passed seaweed and ocean plants full of colors and memories. Emotions posing as fish swam here and there. Some big, some large, some that didn't even exist in the real world, but all feeding on the vegetative memories. It was a vast and chaotic world, and Harry wondered exasperatedly why his mind had expressed itself as a seascape. As Gabriel and Silas, he had preferred sky images for Occlumency. Why was he using water now? But it felt right, so he didn't fight it. Harry knew better than that, at least.

He opened his eyes and smiled at his mentor. "Thank you."

Severus ignored the gratitude as he always did. "The shields are more acceptable now, but it is almost seven thirty. I must go down to breakfast." He stood and brushed at his robes absently before nodding his head and squeezing Harry's shoulder. Without another word, he turned and strode from the infirmary, his robes flaring out behind him.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was doing stretches in front of the window by his hospital bed. Pomfrey had come and gone with his lunch plates and he had slept all through the morning. Feeling stiff and restless, he had opted to do a few combat warm-ups instead of studying from the Medical Magic books Pomfrey had let him borrow. The day was cloudy and the light coming in through the window was weak. The cold February air seeped in through the walls, but he was soon warm as he moved slowly through his routine. A light sheen of sweat glistened on his arms and face.

"Harry? What are you doing? You should rest!"

Closing his eyes, Harry hoped desperately that he hadn't just heard Hermione's voice, that it had just been a figment of his imagination. Unfortunately the sound of approaching footsteps destroyed that notion. He mentally braced himself (not really sure how he was going to deal with the Gryffindors yet) and faced his visitors. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and the twins were hurrying over in their school robes, still carrying their school bags. Harry felt very underdressed in the hospital attire that consisted of a thin white shirt with matching pants.

"Hey," he answered, gauging the four's expressions.

"Does Madam Pomfrey know you're up?" Hermione demanded, hands on her hips.

“Yes." Harry brushed off her concern, but he sat on his bed to appease her. His emotions were churning inside him. On one hand, he wanted to explain everything and give them a chance, but he couldn't. Dumbledore was an enemy and he didn't know if Hermione and Ron would stand against the headmaster when it came down to it. Ron was already upset over who knew what, if the redhead’s glare was anything to go by.

"Why was _Malfoy_ chosen?" Ron suddenly burst out, unknowingly answering Harry’s unspoken question.

"Ron!" Hermione elbowed him hard.

"I want to know," he demanded, crossing his arms petulantly. "The whole school is talking about it. They say you're secretly best friends and always have been, that your fighting was all an act! And let's face it, Harry. You keep a lot of secrets and you've been disappearing at night!"

"It's true, mate," Fred spoke solemnly, mischievousness sparkling in his eyes.

"All the Houses are betting on whether you're spying on Gryffindor for the Dark," George continued.

"Or if Malfoy is spying on Slytherin for you!"

"We have a lot riding on it, so you better come clean." Fred pretended to wield a microphone and pointed it right at Harry's mouth.

Smiling wryly, Harry tilted his head and eyed the two sixth years. "And which way are you betting?"

"Why, both ways of course! That way we win either way!" they said in unison and began laughing.

Ron looked about to explode, his face was so red. "This isn't funny!"

"Calm down, Ron…" Hermione tried to soothe.

"Shut up, Hermione!" Ron thrust her hand away and glared at her fiercely. "What are you doing here anyway? You obviously don't care about Harry. If you did, you'd be worried about Malfoy stabbing him in the back and not when your next make-out session with Krum will be!"

"I can take care of myself," Harry snapped and it silenced Ron instantly. Hard green eyes glinted behind his black-framed glasses and the five Gryffindors could only stare in surprise. None of them (except Neville) had ever heard his voice go so cold and unyielding.

"But Harry!" Ron gasped, shocked.

"Leave it," Harry ordered and stared into Ron's eyes, testing him, weighing him. "And I don't care if Hermione dates Viktor. Stop acting like she's betraying me. If you have a problem with it, you should tell us the real reason why. I guess it was too much to hope for that you would have grown up a little after your stupid tantrum earlier this year. "

"You're the one who's stupid!" the redhead yelled, his face flaming, and stormed out of the infirmary.

"I'll talk to him, Harry. I'm sure he didn't mean to imply you were friends with Malfoy," Hermione promised earnestly, her eyes damp with tears. She gave him a weak smile and hurried after their friend.

Harry would have snapped at her as well, but he let Hermione go. He wasn't sure how he was going to play this friend thing with Draco, so he couldn't exactly shove her false assumptions in her face by admitting that he _was_ friends with the Slytherin.

"You would think Ronnikins would know better…" George shook his head with a sad sigh.

"…than to listen to gossip.” Fred tisked and then shot a sly look at Harry. "Unless…"

"…of course, the rumors are true."

"Then he's just being silly to let something…"

"…like that bother him. Who cares about Malfoy?"

"You're our friend, so why…"

"…does it matter who your other friends are?" George gave a sweeping bow.

"We must get to class, but we hope you get better soon." Fred threw a small marble on the ground, cackling madly. It exploded when it hit and a huge smoke cloud rose up and began to fill the room.

Hacking and coughing, Neville staggered forward and hit the bed. A cool hand grabbed his wrist and squeezed once before Harry incanted a charm that quickly cleared the air. The twins were gone by the time they could see. 

Coughing as well, Harry smiled ruefully at the infirmary doors. The twins were so weird sometimes, but he understood their message and appreciated it. He looked over at Neville to see his brother red in the face with watering eyes.

His smile softening, Harry grabbed some tissues and handed them over. "You alright?"

"Yeah…" Neville coughed a bit more. "I think I was too close to the blast… Glah! That stuff is awful!"

Harry laughed.

"How are you really?" Neville asked as he sat on the bed.

"I… I merged. I'm Silas, Gabriel, Rose, and Kit now."

Neville stared at him with large brown eyes, fear inside them. “Do you still… I mean, are you my…?"

Harry gave him a playful grin. "You're still my brother, if that's what you're asking."

Neville blushed, smiling happily.

"Is it really bad out there?" Harry asked, waving at the infirmary doors.

"Pretty much.” Neville rolled his eyes with irritation. "Everyone keeps asking me what it was like in the lake. They won't believe me when I tell them I was spelled into sleep the whole time. And if they're not on my case about that, they pester me with questions about you and Draco."

"What do you tell them?" Harry asked as he laid back.

Neville smiled at him sympathetically, very glad he wasn't the Boy-Who-Lived. "That I don't know anything."

"Is there anything good happening?" Harry groaned and hid his face under a pillow.

"Well…" Neville shifted nervously.

"What?" Harry peeked out. "Don't hold out on me!"

"Madigan, Professor Snape, and Remus think I might be ready to cast the Animagus spell next weekend."

"What!" Harry sat bolt upright, pride shining in his eyes. "That's great Neville!"

"Learning the biological systems of a tree isn't as hard as that of an animal," Neville said, trying to pass it off.

"It's still hard," Harry disagreed and gave his brother a one-armed hug. "I can't wait to see you transform."

Neville looked down at his hands. "If I get it right.”

"You'll do fine," Harry said matter-of-factly. He flopped back on the bed with a groan.

"What?" Neville asked worriedly. "Should I get Madam Pomfrey?"

"No." Harry shook his head. "I just realized I probably have _another_ Animagus form! My potion expired. I'll have to brew it again and that takes almost three months! Then I have to relearn the anatomy and biology of my animal all over again! I memorized the anatomy of snakes and horses for nothing!"

"Maybe you'll still be one of them.” Neville pat his shoulder consolingly.

"You're talking to the Boy-Who-Lived," Harry sneered. "With my luck, I'll have to start over, of course."

"I have to go, but I'll help as much as I can," the chubby boy said regretfully. "I'll come back later, okay?"

"Yeah. See you." Harry waved him off and rolled onto his stomach, still seething about the Animagus Transfiguration. 

He had almost been ready! Hell, he _was_ ready for the snake part, and he would have finished memorizing the horse's anatomy within the next two weeks! He really wanted to be able to transform. He knew how important it could be in a battle or as a means to escape. Harry flung himself out of bed and threw himself back into his martial art routine, grinding his teeth in frustration the whole time.

**xXxXxXx**

Midnight passed and Draco didn't come. Harry sat on his bed and stared ahead of himself, wondering what this could mean. Had Draco decided he didn't believe him about his condition? Or had the blond just decided that it was too much to handle? Maybe he didn't get his message. Hedwig hadn't come back that afternoon so he had assumed the delivery was successful. Was Hedwig injured? No. He would have heard something about that by now, wouldn't he?

Scowling, he got out of bed and went to the window. The moon was hidden by clouds, but being nearly full he could still see pretty well. He needed to decide his next move. Silverwood was coming for her interview about the second task tomorrow and certainly was going to ask about him having two hostages. This was the perfect chance to indirectly excuse or explain his connection to Draco. The only question was, did he want to play it up that they were rivals as he had with Dumbledore or did he want their friendship to be out in the open?

It was a hard choice. If they were friends openly, they would be under a lot of suspicion from both sides. They would make enemies of almost everyone, at least at first. On the other hand, Draco would be protected and released from his obligations to Voldemort and his mad father. He would be able to work up a reputation of honest respectability over time. He might even be able to convert some of his Slytherin classmates away from Voldemort and into freedom.

But by keeping their friendship secret, Draco would be able to live in peace with his family and his peers for a while longer. He might be able to spy on them and help Harry out with inside information, but that would put the blond at risk and his life would be difficult.

Basically it was present happiness verses future happiness. How was he to measure such a thing, especially since it wasn't his happiness he was measuring? If they were going by what Harry wanted, he would choose to reveal their friendship if only to have some relief from the Gryffindors. That was a petty consideration compared to the very real risk Draco was facing. 

Harry was so deep in thought he hadn't realized he had removed his necklace or returned his piano to its actual size. He blinked at the keys before him and sighed. Idly, he flexed his fingers and allowed them to ripple across the instrument. A meandering song rose into the air around him, swirling with his thoughts and doubts.

"Beautiful."

Harry jerked as if slapped and twisted sideways with wide eyes. Draco stood there with a smug smile. He wore black slacks and a white button-up shirt. Even his hair was still gelled back. Forcing his heart to beat normally again, Harry narrowed his eyes at the Slytherin. It was one thirty in the morning and Draco was still dressed in his school clothes, albeit without his robes. Usually when they met at night, the blond wore something more casual and his hair was loose. Something was up.

"I didn't know you played." Draco gestured at the instrument with a languid hand, his eyes becoming hooded with mock laziness. 

Harry said nothing. He sat and stared suspiciously as the blond continued to act strangely. 

"It must be quite the accomplishment for someone in your position," Draco continued, walking over to the bed and sitting primly on the end.

Green eyes followed his every move, but as soon as Draco moved out of the aisle, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. There was someone still there standing in the aisle. He could sense it now that Draco wasn't masking the presence with his own strong magical aura. Draco was drawling on about something or other, but Harry didn't hear a word. He was building a spell in his mind, chanting the incantation mentally over and over as he forced his magic into that shape.

Silent, wandless magic was no simple thing, and it was still difficult for Harry. So he stared blindly at his friend and continued to prepare his spell. Without so much as twitching an eyebrow, he released his magic and it crashed over the invisible persons like a wave.

There were three thumps and Draco fell silent, getting to his feet and striding over to the source of the noise. He yanked an invisibility cloak violently off their bodies. Harry was glad the blond was doing all the work. His heart had stopped beating when he released his spell and now he was covered in a cold sweat, his hands trembling faintly. Standing wasn't the best idea at the moment.

"I'm impressed, Shadow," Draco murmured as he stood over the three unconscious stalkers. "A silent and wandless general Stupefy spell?"

Harry sneered at him. "Don't forget who you are dealing with, Serpentine."

"Not for a second.” Draco grinned at him brightly, his eyes sparkling with mirth. "Now what should we do to these losers?" he asked gleefully.

"Why are they here? What happened?" Harry finally pushed to his feet and stood at his friend's side. Theodore Nott, Marcus Flint, and a seventh year girl he didn't recognize lay helpless at their feet.

"They suspect me of spying on Slytherin for you. I denied it, of course, but they wanted to see for themselves,” Draco answered evenly, but there was something sharp in his eyes that made Harry certain these three had hurt him.

"We'll deal with them after we talk, then," Harry decided. "It all goes together, I think." He turned and gestured to the piano bench. It was small, but they could both sit on it.

Draco followed him without complaint, both of them folding a leg across the seat so they could face each other. Draco listened seriously as Harry described their options and the possible consequences of each.

"I'm not a Gryffindor to bravely stand against my classmates. Even the ones that don't support the Death Eaters are hostile, thinking I am betraying the House. What am I supposed to do? Tell them that you're not a Gryffindor? They won't believe me. Even if they did, Dumbledore would find out and make your life hell if there is the suspicion of you being neutral and not his perfect little weapon," Draco reasoned. "Not to mention my father will want me to use you if he learns we are friends. I'm only fourteen. I'm very much under his power still. The last thing I want is his attention."

"I understand." Harry ran his hands through his hair tiredly. Pulling his glasses off, he rubbed at his eyes. "So we aren't friends. We are rivals and we spread the story I told Dumbledore. The spell picked you because you are my opposite and I define myself by my opposite more than a normal teenager would."

"Wish I’d thought of that; it's a brilliant cover-up!" Draco grinned. He didn't like how worn Harry looked. Reaching out, he put a hand on his friend's knee. "Look, Shadow, nothing has changed really. We’ll meet once a week in Myrtle's bathroom. I'll watch your back as much as I can."

Harry waved at him, unconsciously mimicking Snape. "Yeah, I know. It's fine. I'm not upset about that."

"Then what's wrong?" Draco frowned.

"Nothing. I'm just thinking." He was getting irritated. "What do you want to do with your stalkers?"

Draco knew better than to push when Harry made it clear he wouldn't be, so he let the subject drop. Besides, he was looking forward to dealing with his Housemates. "I say we stand them up, I'll go back to the bed, and we stage an argument. You pretend you're shocked to see me, we fight, and they believe we're nothing but rivals."

Harry frowned. "That's very forgiving of you.”

"Oh, but that's not all. We should place a pain spell on them and have it triggered by a certain phrase," Draco drawled, an unholy light shining in his silver eyes. "They won't notice it until I use it."

Harry considered the idea. He didn't really care if these jerks suffered. They had hurt Draco. "Alright. You cast the pain spell while I wrap it in the trigger spell."

The blond nodded and brought up his wand. Harry did the same and then they both simultaneously cast their spells. The three victims twitched, but none of them woke. Harry raised an eyebrow at Draco. The pain spell he had used was fairly mild, but it was very difficult to counter.

Draco grinned at him and said clearly, "You're an embarrassment to Slytherin." There was a flash of light and the trigger spell completed, taking Draco's words as it's activation sequence. Now, when ever those words were spoken around the three, they would be subjected to the pain curse. 

That done Harry got the Slytherins on their feet and petrified them to keep them there. Draco covered them with the invisibility cloak and went to sit on the edge of the bed. Harry went back to the piano bench and subtly used his wand to removed the Stupefy and the Petrificus Totalus hexes.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Harry hissed menacingly.

"I was called by your song, Potter. Where did a Halfblood like you learn how to play?" Draco sneered.

"Get out before you really end up on one of the hospital beds. This time with a broken neck," Harry growled, jumping to his feet with his hands fisted at his sides.

"You don't look like you're in any condition to hurt me, Potter. Besides, don't you secretly want me here. My name did come out of that intimacy spell." Draco stood and began to stalk toward him. 

Harry snapped his hand up and aimed his wand. 

"Tell me, Potter, how important am I?”

"You aren't important to me, Malfoy. You're name only came out of that damn spell because _using_ you is important to me," Harry hissed coldly. "You don't matter one bit, Malfoy, and you never will. You're just a means to an end. You sharpen my dueling skills that keep me alive. Anyone could do that, it just happens to be you. You're a nonentity in my world, insignificant compared to the real problems I face."

"I'm Heir to a wealthy and honorable family line! You wouldn't know significance if it hit you in the face. Oh, wait. It did hit you in the face and left you a hideous scar. Congratulations, Potter. You're important because you murdered your own Mudblood mother!"

Harry let fly a curse and Draco did the same. They dueled viciously, but Harry made sure not to use any of the higher curses and hexes he knew and was very careful not to use anything Dark, but he wasn't light on the blond either. Draco was very skilled in annoying others and Harry was sincerely annoyed.

Yelping and panting, they circled each other until Madame Pomfrey came bursting into the room shrieking like a banshee about her patients and unacceptable behavior. Draco got a month of detentions and he stormed out of the hospital wing furiously. Harry sensed the cloaked Slytherins following him.

**xXxXxXx**

"Oh, Harry, I can't imagine what that was like," Melissa Silverwood said with deep sympathy after Harry described the events in the lake. 

She sat in a chair by his hospital bed, almost in tears. Her honey-colored hair was up in a loose bun, wisps of bangs framing her face. The elegant blue robes looked good on her and she was practically hugging the scroll she was writing on to her chest.

Harry sat propped up by pillows, a blanket pulled up to his waist trying to look a pathetic as he could. With the dark circles under his eyes and the honest strain his face wore, he was very successful. He looked small and fragile, both of which made Mrs. Silverwood almost froth at the mouth with maternal instincts. 

"It was… really bad," he said lamely, staring at the hands clasped in his lap. "I don't want people to think I'm a coward or anything. I mean, I wasn't scared… It was just… really horrible."

"I don't think you're a coward, not at all!" she cried and covered his hands with hers. Harry went tense, trying not to yank his hands away. "You are very brave and strong. Even a full grown man would have been distressed at having to face such vicious creatures. To think they put four spears through you! You could have been killed!"

"They told us that, ma'am. Before entering. They said people had died in the tournament before, but they also said that they would try and make it as safe as possible. I deserve this. I wasn't old enough to enter and I did anyway."

"Don't say that," Mrs. Silverwood practically growled at him. "This is in no way your fault, young man. And you are handling everything superbly!"

"I… would never have forgiven myself if Neville was hurt because of me, because I broke the rules and entered this stupid tournament!" Harry pulled his hands away and ran them through his hair, making his eyes go wide and watery. "I wish I could just drop out! I don't care who wins! I didn't think I would be chosen to begin with!"

"Oh, Harry," the woman whispered and wrapped him in a hug.

All his insides went to ice and his heart slammed painfully against his chest. He could hardly breathe and shoved her away in reaction.

"Are you alright? Harry?" she asked worriedly, her big brown eyes dark with concern.

"I…" he wrestled his fear and the temptation to lash out into submission. He had a part to play. Lockhart's warm laugh echoed in his ears and he flinched. Jesus! He had to get over this! "I…my wounds… They are still tender," he offered lamely.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She stood anxiously, deciding whether to get Pomfrey or not.

"Please, I'm fine.” Harry gestured to the chair with the biggest smile he could muster. If she got Pomfrey, there was a good chance the medi-witch wouldn't let him out of the infirmary tomorrow.

She was unconvinced. "If you say so,” she said reluctantly.

Better get things moving along, he thought grimly. "On top of people thinking I'm a coward, they now think I'm helping the Slytherins! Can you believe it? Because Malfoy's name came out of the spell like my best friend Neville's! But the headmaster explained how Malfoy is my rival and we all define ourselves by our opposites. I just do it more than most because I'm the Boy-Who-Lived and I hate dark wizards more than anything. But they won't believe me!"

"That's horrible.” Silverwood frowned in sympathy.

"I was hoping they might believe you if you were to explain it in your article," Harry said with a hopefully shy expression. God, he needed to get to a mirror and check out his expressions. He didn't want to over do it and come off as insincere! Especially if he was!

"No problem, Harry. I know just what to do!" The young woman smiled at him and he couldn't help smiling back.

**xXxXxXx**

It was late Saturday night. Severus had just finished brewing the damn Wolfsbane potion and was delivering it to the infuriating Gryffindor now.

"Come in," Lupin's voice called from behind his office door.

Severus did so with a scowl. Lupin sat behind a desk with tons of books and scrolls piled around him. He looked tired and his eyes were golden in the weak candle light. "For Merlin's sake, use a torch!" he snarled and flicked his wand. The torch sprung to life, making Lupin wince.

"I could see fine, Severus," the man spoke mildly.

He said nothing, just put the smoking goblet on the desk rather firmly.

"Ah, thank you very much." Lupin picked it up and drank it easily, ignoring the horrible taste.

"Why haven't you seen Harry?" Severus asked harshly. "He needs… comfort right now."

Lupin sighed. His silver-streaked hair was limp and lank, wrinkles bracketed his eyes and mouth. He was way too thin as well. Severus felt like murdering the man. He was so useless! Whenever he was needed, he was always so damn fragile.

"I've been forbidden to see him," Lupin finally spoke. "I've also been fired. Next week is my last week teaching History."

Severus stood shocked. He hadn't expected any such thing. "Because of your actions during the Second Task?"

"Yes."

Severus turned his back to hide his fury. "I must visit Azkaban tomorrow to fetch the Headmaster some papers."

Lupin's hands clenched around his chair's armrests. "Warning you where you will end up if you disobey him?"

"Yes."

"This is intolerable," Lupin growled. "This can't be allowed to continue. He's out of control."

Severus bowed his head in agreement, but he said nothing. No matter how much he agreed there was really very little they could do to check the headmaster's power or to remove themselves from his control. Not while the children were at Hogwarts at any rate.

"How is Harry?"

"He is…" Severus didn't know how to answer that and settled for saying, "maintaining a precarious balance."

"Neville is doing much better," Lupin offered. It was the only good thing he could see in the situation.

"He will recover fully," Severus agreed. “I will return tomorrow to give you your last dose of Wolfsbane.”

"Thank you," Lupin answered even though his friend was no longer there to hear him.

**Chapter end. _Please review._**


	42. Defeating the Past

**Defeating the Past**

Madam Pomfrey wasn't impressed with Harry's recovery and didn't release him Sunday as she had promised, but he managed to make his escape Monday morning before class. He had seen Neville many times and the twins once more, but neither Hermione nor Ron came and visited him since Friday afternoon when he had fought with the redhead. This made him feel distinctly edgy; Harry hated not knowing what to expect.

"Harry!" Neville called and waved happily.

Harry nodded, but he was too tense to smile at his little brother. 

Neville understood and began a conversation that needed little of his participation. Grateful, Harry walked with him to the History classroom. They were a bit early and there were only a few people in the class, neither of which were Ron or Hermione. Harry sat with his brother, choosing a far right table near the middle. That way he could keep an eye on the door.

Hermione came in first. She spotted him and came over with a smile. "Harry! How are you feeling? Did Madam Pomfrey say you are healed completely?"

"I'm still a little sore but made a complete recovery otherwise.” Harry offered a tight smile.

"That's great!" Hermione smiled back.

"Did you read the article in _Witch's Weekly_?" Lavender spoke suddenly from the table behind Harry.

He turned to look at her. "No. I don't have a subscription, but I gave Melissa Silverwood an interview Saturday. What does it say? I hope she didn't make up crap like Skeeter did."

Lavender handed over the magazine. His interview started on page three and was two pages long. He read it slowly, a smile growing on his face. It emphasized the danger he was in, made him out to be an exceptional young man, and the whole thing with Draco was worded just right. Silverwood had talent as a writer, he'd give her that.

"Sorry I'm late," Remus said loudly as he came into the classroom. 

Everyone stopped talking and turned to face the front. Remus wasn't known for giving punishments, but his class was always interesting and no one wanted to make the well-liked teacher mad. 

"Open your books to chapter thirteen and we'll learn about the medieval times."

Harry obediently put away the magazine and got out his book. He couldn't help but notice that Remus looked in sorry shape. Neville shot him a worried look and Harry shook his head minutely. He didn't know what was wrong either. Neither of them thought it was just because of the full moon tonight. Something more was wrong.

**xXxXxXx**

Remus taught his class as he always did, trying to ignore the ache in his chest at the thought of this being one of the last times he would do so. He enjoyed teaching and would miss it very much. He caught Harry and Neville's worried gazes and smiled at them. He knew that wouldn't stop them from staying after to ask questions, but he still wanted to try. Sure enough, when the bell rang, everyone left the room except his two cubs. Neville took the news he was leaving the worst. Remus caught him in a tight hug.

"This doesn't mean anything changes. If you need anything, I will be here in a second!" he said roughly into the boy's ear.

"Why were you sacked?" Harry asked evenly.

His face was more guarded than it normally was and thinner. His wild black hair was limper and hung in his face a bit, but Remus thought Harry looked well considering everything he had gone through. "The Headmaster and I didn't see eye to eye on certain things," he answered evenly, stepping away from Neville.

Harry watched him with green eyes that had gotten a few degrees colder since the merge. Remus wondered if the teen would push it, aware he hadn't exactly answered the question, but the teen merely shrugged and let it go, much to Remus' relief. He didn't want Harry to feel guilty and wanted to keep the fact that he had cursed the headmaster so that Severus could rescue him a secret for a bit longer.

"Will you be alright?" Neville asked.

"Of course I will.” Remus smiled. "I've survived a long time after Hogwarts. I'll be just fine. I'll probably stay with Snuffles. Don't worry about a thing."

"Do you know who is going to replace you?" Harry asked frowning, turning away to fiddle with a paperweight on Remus's desk.

"Probably the headmaster since there hasn't been much time to find a replacement. There are only a few months left of school anyway."

"If you need money, please let me know." Harry turned to face him, making his hair fall away so that they could see each other clearly. Remus had never seen him look so serious, and he hesitated before immediately denying the offer. "My parents wanted me to be able to provide for you and I don't want to let them down."

Remus wanted to refuse. He hated charity and he would never take anything away from Harry that was rightfully his, but there was a strange expression in the green eyes before him and he found himself nodding slowly.

The muscles in Harry's shoulders relaxed as he smiled warmly. "Thank you."

"You boys should get to your next class. You're already late." Remus reached over and ruffled Harry's hair, grinning at the teen's hiss of annoyance. "I'll write you a pass."

**xXxXxXx**

Many people asked Harry about the article, but he managed to answer as little as possible. Even more people asked him to tell them what happened in the lake, but he brushed them off, telling them to ask Cedric.

Ron ignored him all day, which was better than fighting. Hermione spent her time going back and forth between them, but he wouldn't listen whenever the girl brought Ron up. To keep up the fiction of being enemies, Draco accosted him in the hall on the way to lunch and they shot insults at each other. All in all, it was an average day.

"Harry, can we talk?" Ron asked.

Harry looked up from the textbook in his lap. He was sitting lazily in one of the large comfortable armchairs by the common room fire, idly contemplating if he should go up to bed. There were about five or six upper year Gryffindors spread around on couches and at tables, talking quietly and sometimes laughing. Hermione and Neville were studying potions at a table behind him.

"I don't know. Can we?" Harry asked indifferently, returning his eyes to the page.

"Look, Harry." Ron took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm sorry. I was acting like a prat again. I shouldn't have gotten all worked up until I heard your explanation why…"

"I don't have to explain myself to you," Harry interrupted coldly, looking up with a sneer. "That's not what friends do. I don't need your permission for things."

Ron went red and crossed his arms defensively, shifting his weight backwards. "I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

By this time the whole of the common room had fallen silent to watch. Harry considered going somewhere more private, but he decided it wasn’t worth it. Maybe his Housemates would learn something from this. He looked up at Ron with narrowed eyes.

"But you wouldn't be sorry if I _were_ friends with Malfoy, would you? Whether I was friends with him or not, it wasn't anything to do with you. You set conditions on our friendship. If I don't do certain things or if I step outside of what you allow, you won't be my friend. I don't like that."

"I was worried about you, you prat!" Ron yelled, flinging his arms out wide. "That slimy snake could have filled your head with nonsense to make you think you two were friends. He could have been tricking you to hurt you!"

"I'm perfectly capable of making that judgment on my own," Harry snarled, slamming the book closed and making everyone jump.

"So I'm not supposed to watch your back anymore?" Ron yelled furiously.

"That wasn't watching my back, Ron! That was throwing a tantrum!" he yelled back.

"Guys! Stop!" Hermione cried, coming between them. Her brown eyes were wide with tears. "Please don't fight. Malfoy isn't Harry's friend, so it doesn't matter, right?"

"It does matter," Harry argued calmly, standing. "It is an example of how Ron will act in the future."

"So you're not my friend anymore?" Ron asked in a harsh whisper. "That's it, then? Just like that? Who's setting conditions now?"

"You don't know how he'll act in the future," Hermione pleaded, reaching out to Harry beseechingly. "Ron learned something from this.”

"Yeah. Maybe." Harry shrugged and made his way to the dorm stairs. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'm tired. See you guys tomorrow."

**xXxXxXx**

Friday arrived and Remus was leaving the castle. It felt like he was slowly being stripped of his allies.

"Why so grim, Harry?" the gentle man asked as he shut his door behind him.

Harry shook free of his thoughts. His teacher stood before him, wearing his worn brown pants and white shirt that was missing the top-most button. He had forgotten the state of Remus's clothes since he had been wearing teaching robes everyday. Seeing the tired lines on his friend's face made him grit his teeth. Remus needed this job and had been good at it.

"Nothing." Harry managed a tight smile. "I'm just sorry you're leaving."

"Me, too," Neville said glumly.

"Come now, boys. I'll be around." The older wizard brought them both in for a hug. He noticed Harry tensing against him and let him go gently. He pulled back to look at them both. "I need your promise that you'll take care of each other and listen to Severus. Now is the time for caution. Be careful."

Neville stood as straight as he could and nodded. "We will."

"I have to go." Remus picked up his briefcase, gave them a smile, and strode down the corridor.

"Now what?" Neville sighed, wrapping his arms around his chest.

"We have an hour until dinner." Harry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "I think I'll meet you there. Is that alright?"

"Where are you going?" Neville asked curiously.

"I'm going to go see Severus. Why? Did you need me for something?"

"No. I'm glad you're going to see him." Neville smiled and shrugged. "I think I'm going to go talk to Professor Sprout. I had a few questions about the Herbology Institute."

"Yeah?" Harry raised an eyebrow curiously.

"I'm trying to get into the summer program," Neville admitted with a blush.

"That's great. You need her recommendation or something?"

Neville nodded. "And other stuff. See you at dinner. Say hi to Snape for me."

Harry smiled wryly. "I'll do that."

**xXxXxXx**

"Good afternoon, sir," Harry said as he walked into his mentor's sitting room. "Neville says hi."

Severus closed the door and watched curiously as the teen stood in the middle of the room, trying to decide where to sit. Silas would have gone straight to the chairs at the chess table while the Host had preferred the blue couch near the fireplace. 

Shaking his head, Harry moved to the small table in the kitchen. "Would you like tea?" he asked politely.

Severus was about to answer when the teen went white as a sheet. His hand, reaching for the tea pot, had frozen in mid gesture. "What is it?" Severus asked softly, moving forward.

Harry didn't answer. Instead he grabbed the teapot and screamed furiously as he flung it at the wall. It hit with a loud bang and fell clattering to the floor. Harry stood panting, staring down at it with blazing eyes. "God, I hate them! I hate them so much!"

Severus would never have thought he had it in him, but he didn't even think about it. He just reacted. He strode forward and grabbed the boy into a tight embrace. Harry went rigid in his arms. Feeling mortified, Severus moved to let him go when Harry fisted his robes at his chest and pressed his forehead more firmly against his shoulder.

"I hate them!" the teen yelled hoarsely. "I want to hurt them so bad for what they did to me. I want to twist her arms off and claw her eyes out. I want to scream in her face every obscenity I know. And it would never be enough. It would never be fucking enough because it wouldn't change a goddamn thing! It wouldn't erase all the times I groveled and broke myself to please her! It wouldn't change the fact that I was fucking _happy_ being her fucking slave! No! I was worse than her slave. I was her doll; a doll she turned off and on whenever she pleased." Harry's voice rose and cracked, breaking on a sob. "I hate them, Severus. I hate them… I hate everything."

"No, you don't," Severus said softly, his voice low and soothing. "Not everything."

Harry pulled away and covered his face, hiding the tears. He cried silently as he did in the hospital wing and Severus felt his heart stretch with understanding. He saw himself in the gesture. A child who cries silently doesn't expect anyone to care they are crying or to do anything to make them feel better.

"As Silas, I didn't really feel anything about Rose. She was just there," Harry spoke thickly, his voice muffled by his hands still spread over his face. "She had a purpose and that was good enough for me. I didn't like the Dursleys, I wanted us away from there, but… But remembering _being_ Rose is a completely different story.” Harry laughed bitterly. His hands dropped and his eyes were so dark and lost that Severus could hardly breathe. "I literally gag when I think about wanting to please that evil woman. I fucking remember sitting there daintily, deaf and mute, and thinking so sweetly about the people who were pouring their black, horrible emotions down my throat. And I just want to… to choke myself! I want to scream and rage that I would ever sit there and pour her goddamn tea or cook their goddamn food with that honest fucking _smile_ on my face!"

"Harry…"

"I want to scream at you and tell you that wasn't me!" Harry picked up a tea cup and flung it at the wall, shattering it. "That I would never act like that!" He laughed again and slumped against the wall. "But Rose was me. They made me into that… creature. They broke me, Severus.” Glaring up at his teacher, he demanded, “Can you imagine what it's like for me now? It wasn't like I served her with a smile on my face while plotting her painful death in my head. No. I was plotting the position of the new fucking pansies in her garden. I was plotting what herbs would go best on duck." Harry put his hands in his hair and whimpered.

"Harry," Severus spoke carefully, not sure how to tread this thorny path without setting his charge off more. "You are correct in that Rose was you, but… But she wasn't all of you or even a large part of you. You shouldn't feel like you as a whole are weak because she couldn't understand the dreadfulness of the situation. Every child craves approval, Harry, and you were a child. That is not anything you should feel ashamed of. Just as Kit didn't understand the depravity of her situation, either."

Harry flinched and wrapped his arms around himself defensively.

Severus wished with all his might he could take this pain from the teen, but all he had were his words. Voice rough with emotion, he continued, "Their lack is not your lack, Harry. Not anymore. You encompass them. They are pieces of you. Not the other way around. You are more than Rose, more than Kit or Gabriel. You are strong and cunning, and you will never again be any one of them alone. You are whole now."

"Whole?" Harry laughed and looked up at his teacher. "Let's not forget Boy and Demon." He snorted and slid down the wall. "The hate I feel now is _fleeting_ compared to the hate Demon feels. And Boy? He can't function at all, he's so fucked up. I'm not whole."

"All your strengths are whole, I should say. You are strong. You are no longer the defenseless child Rose and Kit were," Severus countered.

"You've got that right." Harry sighed and shook himself. He pulled himself to his feet carefully. "Let's spar."

Severus eyed him. The teen looked haggard and his green eyes were exhausted. Now wasn't the time to push, so he nodded and led his charge to the abandoned classroom they had set aside for combat training and duels. 

Harry fought with grim viciousness, almost overwhelming Severus twice - not that he would ever tell his student that. The teen moved from offense to defense flawlessly and was equally skilled at both. He moved from physical to magical techniques with equal ease. Most importantly of all, when Harry saw an opening, he tested it before trying to exploit it. By doing this, he saw through almost all of Severus's feints and traps.

"Enough. We've already missed dinner," Severus called a halt almost two hours after they had started battling.

Harry nodded, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat. He had long ago discarded his school robes and stood in jeans and a loose, dark blue T-shirt. Severus wore a long-sleeved, black button-up shirt and slacks, but his hair was disheveled and there were two spots of color high on his cheeks. Harry felt triumphant for having made Severus work so hard to defend himself.

"Tomorrow is Hogsmeade weekend, as you know," his teacher sneered. "After you are done romping in the village, bring Mrs. Granger and yourself down here. We will begin to brew the Animagus Revealing potion."

"How do you know if she's ready?" Harry asked curiously, wiping his face on his robe sleeve.

"I tested her.” Severus smirked, remembering her shock when he revealed he knew she was studying the transformation.

Harry smiled and shook his head. "Alright. What about Neville?"

"He will try to cast the Transfiguration on Sunday in the Shrieking Shack. Lupin will be there."

"And you?" Harry smiled fondly. No matter how Severus tried to make it seem like he was put out, Harry knew better.

"I will be there to make sure nothing drastic happens. Your presence goes without saying."

Harry grinned at his teacher's expression.

**xXxXxXx**

Ron came with them as they made their way to Hogsmeade at noon the next day. Neither Harry nor Ron went to any trouble trying to avoid each other, but things were stiff and formal between them. If it weren't for the twins, the week would have been much sorrier than it had been.

"We're going to the joke shop first!" Fred said adamantly.

"All the best joke items sell fast, while no one is going to buy up all your books!" George finished.

"Fine," Hermione huffed, scowling at them. "But it's not like you need any more joke supplies!"

"And it's not like you need any more books," Ron said playfully, poking her in the ribs.

Neville laughed and Harry shot him an amused glance. He was about to say something when something caught his eye. There were many students already in Hogsmeade, but between all the passing legs and laughing kids Harry caught sight of a big black dog sitting at the end of the street in the very center of the road with his tongue lolling out. Harry walked quickly forward and became more certain the closer he got. The dog looked dirty and scruffy, but it was definitely Sirius Black.

"What is it?" Neville asked. Harry pointed and the brunette gasped. "What are we going to do?"

Just then Sirius got up and turned around, trotting away. He stopped after a few feet and looked back over his shoulder pointedly.

"I guess we follow him," Harry answered.

"All of us?" Neville asked, looking back at their happily arguing friends.

"Sure." Harry shrugged. "They all think I spent my summer with him anyway." He turned and lead them into an dark alley. It didn't take long for the twins to notice something was up. Harry pulled them deeper and whispered, "Stay quiet. Someone wants us to visit. Nobody can know about any of this, got it?" Harry looked especially hard at Ron and the redhead nodded firmly. This was a perfect test for all of them. If they didn't tell about Sirius, then they might be trustworthy in the future. "Good."

He tapped them all on the head with his wand, saying the spell that would make people not want to look at or notice them. He cast it on himself last and made his way back to High Street. Sirius was still waiting. The dog yipped happily when he caught sent of them and began trotting off again.

The scruffy dog led them up a winding lane leading out from Hogsmeade and into the wild countryside. The cottages were fewer here and their gardens larger. After a few minutes, they turned a corner and came to a stile at the end of the lane. Sirius wagged his tail happily and barked, going past the stile.

The six of them climbed over and followed across the stubby patch of ground that rose to meet the rocky foot of the mountain. Sirius led them to an area where the ground was covered in boulders and rocks. It was easy for him to get across with his four legs, but the students had a harder time. Even Harry was panting within ten minutes.

They followed Sirius higher up onto the mountain itself. For nearly half and hour they climbed a steep, winding, and stony path. Then, at last, Sirius slipped out of sight. The students gathered, sweating and panting, at the small cave entrance and looked at each other in relief before making their way into the cool cavern.

Harry removed his spell and the six of them met a human Sirius, grinning broadly, and a rueful Remus. 

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked when it calmed a bit. He was looking around at the two cots, fire pit, and sacks of food in the corner. It was obvious they were planning to camp here for a while.

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," Sirius answered and came over to hug him.

Harry sidestepped and clasped him on the shoulder instead. "What if they catch you? What if you're seen?" he asked, only mildly concerned. He couldn't baby-sit the man. Sirius would have to take care of himself.

"I won't let that happen," Remus said with a smile. "Besides, he's been out here almost the whole time and has yet to be caught."

"I'm pretending to be a lovable stray.” Sirius grinned and the twins laughed. "Don't worry about it. I just need to be on the spot incase something happens. Moony does, too."

"Moony?" the twins gasped.

“Yes." Harry smiled at them. "And this is Padfoot."

Fred and George stared in abject wonder before falling to their knees and bowing. "Masters!" they cried. "Teach us, two unworthy subjects, all you know! We beg you!"

Sirius stared at them in shock while Remus rolled his eyes. 

"Get up," the werewolf chided. "I'm sure Paddy would love to teach you some pranks, no begging required.”

"Ahhhh," Sirius said, understanding dawning. "So you two are pranksters, are you? Tell me what you've done so far."

The twins jumped to their feet and began babbling about their past pranks. Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Harry shook their heads at the three and made their way over to Remus.

"This might not be such a good thing. They were bad enough as it was.” Ron sighed dramatically.

Neville nodded. "He's right.”

"I'm sure they will be fine," Remus laughed.

"But will we be fine?" Hermione scowled over at the three. Then she looked over at Harry. "Is that really Sirius Black? He doesn't…"

"Look like a killer?" Harry offered when she hesitated. "That's because he's not. I already told you he’s innocent. You saw Wormtail for yourself."

"I know…" she sighed. "So Professor…"

"Remus. I'm not your professor any longer," he corrected kindly.

"Remus…" She blushed. "How are you? Are you going to stay in this cave?"

"It's not so bad.” He smiled at the teens’ doubtful expressions. "It really isn't. It's nice being with Sirius again, too. I've missed him."

They all talked for over an hour before Remus called a halt. "It's about time you guys get back up to school. We don't want to make anyone suspicious. And don't come sneaking out here to see us. It's dangerous right now," Remus said this while looking at the twins.

The twins saluted. "Yes, sir, Moony, sir!"

Sirius laughed loudly, grabbing the boys around the neck and grinning like a loon. "I like these two, Harry! You have good friends, you have."

Harry rolled his eyes, standing. "Bye, Sirius, Remus. Be careful."

Neville hugged his mentor while Harry began casting the Notice-Me-Not spell on Ron and Hermione. Neville was very glad Remus was still close to Hogwarts, though he was a bit upset at their living conditions. What if it rained or got really cold at night? Surely they couldn't do much magic without fear of getting caught.

"Don't worry, pup," Remus said gently, smoothing his hair. "We'll be just fine."

"Alright," Neville backed away reluctantly and Harry cast his spell. "See you later."

"Bye and have fun!" Sirius called out as the teens left.

**xXxXxXx**

It was almost close to four when they got back onto Hogwarts' grounds. They were going to be late with for their potion session with Severus.

"Where are you going?" the twins asked.

"I passed Professor Snape's test so now he's letting me brew the Animagus Revealing potion. Harry's going to help," Hermione answered.

"Snape!" Ron and the twins said at the same time.

"Yes, Professor Snape.” Hermione crossed her arms with a glare.

"He knows about us trying to be Animagus?" Ron was horrified. "He'll turn us in for sure!"

"No, he won't," Harry said firmly and they all looked at him. "Professor Snape has been tutoring me for a while. After all the hours of detention I've had with the man, we've come to an understanding. I trust him."

Ron looked about to protest, but the twins grabbed his shoulders, talking over him. "We trust your judgment, mate."

"Thank you.” Harry nodded at them.

"Come _on_ , Harry! We're late!" Hermione cried impatiently, grabbing Harry by the wrist and tugging him along.

"Professor Snape really is on Harry's side," he heard Neville tell the others. "And if I can say that without stuttering in fear, then you should know it's true."

"Professor Snape did fight with Dumbledore…"

"…and jump into the lake to save him."

**xXxXxXx**

The potion was just as complicated as Harry remembered it, but Severus was helping this time. He promised under his guidance the potion could be done in four weeks instead of six. Hermione was doubtful, but under Harry's expectant green gaze, she caved. She didn't know why Harry needed to brew the potion again, anyway. Harry told her it was because they suspected he did it wrong last time and he just wanted to make sure. You could only try this Transfiguration once, after all. She didn't ask him anything else about it.

**xXxXxXx**

Sunday came and Harry had to explain to the twins why they couldn't go see Sirius again and they immediately demanded to come to the Shack with him to watch Neville's Transfiguration. Harry allowed it, but he managed to sneak out without either Ron or Hermione. That was something at least.

Neville had been at the Shack since dawn to get ready and the air was charged with expectation and magic. The twins were silent and respectful, sitting cross-legged at the far side of the Shack away from the runic circle Neville had drawn. They didn't even ask what the strange female Flitwick look-alike was doing there. 

Severus glared at Harry, flicking his eyes at the twins, but he only shrugged one shoulder.

"I'm ready," Neville said with a low and even voice.

"Begin," Remus answered, just as formally.

Neville stood in the middle of his circle. His feet were shoulder length apart and planted firmly on the floor. His hands were folded in front of him and his round face went slack with concentration. The room was absolutely silent. Minutes ticked by. Magic built slowly in the room, heavy and sluggish. Neville's mousy hair ruffled, some began to stick to his forehead, drenched in sweat.

" _Macero meicorporis ut ostendo mei animus rectus formo. Capio haec formo natura mei corpus tam ego animus advoco natura procul animus."_

The chant was repeated three times; the words spoken precisely the same. Neville was trembling faintly now, his eyebrows bent down and frown lines bracketing his mouth. Then his edges began to blur. He melted. His skin and clothes bent and slid down and toward his center. The magic was an invisible force now. Pressing against their faces and bodies. The rune circle was glowing faintly.

Neville's image stopped melting and began to stabilize, to stretch and turn into wood. Everyone held their breath as the tree shimmered, trembled, and threatened to collapse, but then it solidified and shot up, standing at least eleven feet high, green leaves blooming on the end of sturdy young branches. The magic snapped in the room and in Neville's place was a perfect specimen of an oak tree. He had done it!

"You're magnificent, brother," Harry spoke warmly, stepping forward and putting his hands on the bark.

"You did beautifully," Madigan murmured tearfully. She raised her large eyes and smiled peacefully at the young tree.

"I never doubted you for a minute. Your parents would be very proud of you, pup," Remus said thickly as he came up beside Harry and touched the warm bark as well.

It shivered and a few leaves floated down around them.

"Amazing!" - "Incredible!" the twins cried out.

"Well done, Mr. Longbottom," Severus spoke before turning and leaving them to their celebration.

Neville returned to his human form, sobbing with joy. Harry wrapped him in his arms and Remus ruffled his hair, both talking at once. Neville couldn't believe he had done it. It was the hardest thing he had ever done, bar his lessons with Rowena. He soaked up his brother and mentor's praise and turned bright eyes to his teacher. Madigan bowed low and he went over to hug her.

"It's so amazing. I bet it will be much different if I transform on soil. I can almost hear whispers of other trees. They have a constant awareness of the world. It's awesome!"

"The trees hold much wisdom.” Madigan patted his hand. "You will come to see that wisdom lives in you."

He blushed a bright red and was tackled to the ground by the two hyper twins. They were shouting in his ears and he laughed with them. They slowly made their way down into Hogsmeade where Madigan bought them butterbeers. Celebrating his success, Neville had never felt so happy. He had actually accomplished something wondrous. Maybe his parents _would_ be proud.

**xXxXxXx**

Night was falling and the four boys made their way tiredly to the common room.

"I was thinking," Harry spoke up. "Can you guys send an owl to Percy for me?"

"Sure, mate…" - "…but what for?" they answered

"I have some questions for him." Harry shrugged.

"Alright," George nodded. "We have to mail something off tonight anyway."

"Do you have it on you?" Fred extended his hand.

"One second…" 

Harry closed his eyes and swished his wand, summoning the letter he had crafted, questioning Percy about Mr. Crouch. It came soaring into his hand in less than three minutes. The twins whistled, impressed. They took the letter and saluted before going off toward the owlery, their heads close together as they talked in a hush whisper.

"What are you going to do now?" Neville asked with a yawn.

"I'm going to go see Draco. Get some sleep. You did great today.” Harry grinned and playfully punched his shoulder.

"Thanks. I think I'll do that." The teen smiled sleepily and made his way toward the common room while Harry turned around.

**xXxXxXx**

The bathroom was dank and silent. Even Myrtle wasn't hanging about. Harry sighed in relief. It was nice to be alone and in a quiet place. The only sound was the faint dripping of a leaky facet. He put his back to the wall beside the sink that lead to the Chamber of Secrets and settled in to wait.

"I keep forgetting how small you are, Shadow," Draco's soft voice said from a few feet away. Harry smiled faintly. "After battling dragons and merpeople, I keep thinking you're bigger than you are."

"You're not so much taller," Harry countered, cracking open an eye.

"I'm a good three inches taller than you," Draco sniffed and crossed his arms. He stood in a black sweater and gray slacks. His pale blond hair was loose and tucked behind his ears, and his eyes were bright and happy.

"You look better. I take it your stalkers haven't given you anymore trouble?"

"None at all.” Draco smiled sweetly. "Professor Snape has also helped restore my rightful place as leader."

"Has he?" Harry opened both eyes and stood. "That was kind of him."

"Kind, nothing.” Draco grimaced, stepping closer. "He's making me brew all the potions Madam Pomfrey needs for her stores."

Harry laughed and hissed the sink open. They dropped down with ease, having long since gotten used to it. The Chamber was just as they had left it. The basilisk was about a quarter dissected and there were transfigured couches and a table a few feet away from it. Harry made his way there and took a seat, gesturing for Draco to join him. The blond did so and looked over at his friend curiously.

"I have a favor to as of you," Harry said quietly. "It's a rather large on and… gruesome."

Draco's eyes widened, but he didn't flinch. "What is it?"

"I need your help constructing a poison and trigger spell." Harry was risking a lot, involving Draco in his plots, but he did need help and of everyone he knew Draco was the only one he felt he could trust with this. The Gryffindors were too young and naïve. The adults would throw a fit about Harry doing something so wrong. That left Draco.

"A basilisk poison?" Draco asked shrewdly. "Who do you want to kill?"

"Dumbledore."

Draco stared at him, face expressionless. Harry felt his muscles getting tenser and tenser under that pinning gray gaze. "Dumbledore," he repeated slowly. "Tell me why first."

Harry looked away at the basilisk corpse. Draco already knew about his condition anyway, so he told him about Dumbledore wanting to send him back to the Dursleys. How Dumbledore dosed him with an unknown potion and bound one of his alters painfully. How Dumbledore didn't want him to heal, wanted to use his condition so that Harry would be a perfect weapon. How Dumbledore had almost condemned him to death in the lake.

"I'm afraid he has too much opportunity to hurt me again. He is capable of imprisoning my mind or even breaking it further. I can't risk that," Harry finished.

"I'll do it," Draco said firmly.

"Are you sure?" Harry met his eyes. "This is serious, Serpentine. This isn't a game."

"I know that," Draco snapped, glaring. "I agree that Dumbledore is a threat to you. He needs to be stopped. I will help."

Harry smiled, throat feeling tight with emotion. "Thank you."

"What would you do without me?" Draco asked haughtily, tossing his head and putting his nose in the air.

Laughing, Harry stood and went to the table, summoning all the books he had read on poisons and assassinations. All of the books were from the restricted section, one was from Severus's bookcase, and two others were so dark he had Omi buy them. Draco whistled, impressed. 

For three hours, they worked hard outlining their options. Eventually they settled on the Vetch Poison. It was named after a particularly ugly and hard to kill Egyptian weed. Basically, the poison was ingested by the victim in small doses over a long period of time. It builds slowly in the body, dormant, only to be released by the trigger phrase when the assassin chooses, and hopefully since they would be incorporating basilisk venom Dumbledore wouldn't have much time after the trigger phrase to think much about it at all.

"How are we going to get him to ingest it?" Draco asked tiredly.

"We'll think of something," Harry closed the book with their notes inside. He spell locked it shut and left it on the table, banishing the rest of the books back to their rightful spot. "It's going to take us almost sixteen days to make the poison anyway."

Draco nodded.

"We should get back.” Harry grinned. "You look like you're going to fall over."

"Shuddup," Draco muttered, following him out of the Chamber.

**xXxXxXx**

A week after Harry sent his letter off with the twins Percy's reply arrived. In it, he explained how Mr. Crouch was still not coming in to work, but that he will uphold his obligations during the tournament. It didn't tell Harry much; it only made him more anxious to discover what the man was up to that he was devoting all his attention to Hogwarts. As the weeks went by, however, Harry found nothing more about his enemies' plans and motives. It was as if they were all sitting quiet, biding their time, revealing nothing. Not even Dumbledore had summoned him again.

**xXxXxXx**

Thursday, April 6th arrived. It was time to use their Animagus Revealing potion. Hermione was so excited she was practically bursting. Ron and the twins pouted about not being invited to make the potion with them, but Harry explained that they couldn't start the potion until they thoroughly understood the Transfiguration aspect of the spell and passed Severus's test. The twins had taken and failed it twice, Ron once, but none of them were stupid enough to try and make it on their own. They understood that they only got one chance at this and weren't about to mess it up.

"Good luck, Mione!" Ron called.

"I'm sure you'll be something great, Harry," Neville reassured his brother.

"Don't fret…" - "I'm sure you'll be something terrifying," the twins said while patting him on the back.

"Let's do this." Harry strode up to his potion and picked up his mug. Hermione copied him nervously.

Severus watched all this by the door that he had left cracked open. The plan was for Harry to take his potion, reveal his main form, and then escape into the warded room next door, so that he didn't reveal the dove or the werewolf to the other Gryffindors. Hopefully Hermione's form would distract everyone enough to let him get away cleanly.

Everyone became silent as the two teens began to shift. Hermione got smaller and smaller until a gray field mouse stood in her place. Her beady black eyes darted around the room as her long whiskers twitched by her pink nose. The boys' eyes grew wide and the twins burst out laughing. Only Neville and Severus didn't seem shocked by her form.

"Never saw that one," Ron muttered faintly, trying to match the small delicate mouse with the bossy girl he knew.

"Do you think Harry's going to eat her?" George asked, Fred was laughing too hard to say anything.

Harry stood before them as a lynx. His tawny fur was spotted and black tuffs stood up from his large ears. Big golden eyes stared down at the mouse and a paw five times as big as Hermione gently brushed against her side. The mouse squeaked and chattered at everyone in the room, grooming her whiskers in agitation. Harry huffed and, without any warning whatsoever, leapt for the door.

"Harry!" the redheads cried, but by the time they got into the hallway, the lynx was nowhere in sight.

"Careful, fools!" Severus barked. "The potion will wear off soon. He's fine. Ms. Granger won't be if you stomp on her!"

The teens froze and looked around frantically just in time to see Hermione change back into herself. She looked at them and they looked back, then she burst into tears. The boys hurried to her side, soothing her and trying to make her feel better about her form. Thus distracted they never saw Severus slip from the room.

"How are you?" he asked. Harry was sitting on the floor. His hair was disheveled and his glasses were askew. He looked pale and tired, but that was from stress and not because of the potion.

"Fine," Harry sighed. "I guess it could have been worse. At least a lynx is a mammal and I know some of its anatomy from when Gabriel researched the puma. I'm still going to have to study it nonstop to get it down by the third task."

Severus helped the teen to his feet. "I'm sure you can do it."

**xXxXxXx**

Over the next two weeks, Hermione came to terms with her form. She discovered that a mouse represents practicality, forward thinking, and someone who scrutinizes the world. All of which suited her just fine. She even came to think her form was cute, once she got over how small and weak she appeared.

Harry discovered the lynx represented a secret keeper; someone who had a strange tendency to discover secrets and who had no urges to reveal those secrets. The lynx moves easily through the dark unknown and, like all felines, represents a personality who could become a deadly threat when cornered. It also represented someone who stalks a problem and gets its measure before confrontation. A lynx person is reserved and silent, finding attention and large crowds distasteful.

They both studied voraciously and Hermione found herself shocked that she couldn't keep up with her friend. She had never known Harry to be studious, but the teen was suddenly organized, efficient, and completely focused. Harry merely shrugged off her compliments and tried to explain his progress away by the fact that he had been studying the anatomy of animals for months.

**xXxXxXx**

Things weren't going so well with his other extracurricular project. Draco and he had finally finished the poison and it was perfect, but they were suddenly struck by the reality of the situation. They were planning the cold-blooded murder of Albus Dumbledore, someone who held the admiration of most of their world - whether the man deserved it or not.

"Are you still certain you want to do this?" Draco asked softly.

They were both standing at the table beside the basilisk corpse in the Chamber of Secrets. Draco had his sleeves rolled up and sweat was beading on his head from standing over a boiling cauldron for the last hour. Harry didn't look much better. He was pale and his hair stuck to his forehead and cheeks. His eyes were wide and grim as he stared at the cup of very deadly poison they had completed.

"You can back out now if you want. I can cast an Obliviate," Harry answered, his voice utterly devoid of emotion.

"No," Draco huffed, hooking a stray lock of hair back behind his ear. His silver eyes narrowed at his friend. "I said I'd help you. I'm just making sure you are alright with this. We're planning on murdering Dumbledore."

"I know who he is," Harry snapped as all his control shattered. He had been holding himself tightly in check ever since the merge. Except for the single outburst with Severus, he never let the inner chaos rise to the surface. "You have no idea…" Harry choked and had to turn his back. He took a deep breath and forced himself to talk coherently around his fury. "You have no idea how much he hurt me."

"Tell me, Shadow," Draco entreated. He had seen how tightly coiled his friend was and knew that Harry needed to let this out. Or he would snap. So he stood there and refused to flinch as Harry spun around, eyes flashing dangerously.

"You want to know?" Harry stalked forward until he was only a few inches from the blond. His voice sunk to a low growl, very reminiscent of Gabriel in a fury. "He put a fucking brand on my mind." His pale, shaking hand slashed out and outlined a band around Draco's forehead. "It was so cold it burned itself into my _soul._ He used it to chain me to his will. And when I resisted…" he couldn't finish, his eyes wild.

Draco didn't know what to do. He literally couldn't imagine what it had been like; he couldn't imagine the pain of it. So he met his friend's eyes and held them, silently saying he was there. It was all he had to offer.

Harry spun back around and paced toward the table. He braced his hands there as he leaned over, hanging his head. "The migraines were so bad I could hardly sit up and function, but the helplessness was worse… I can't describe what it's like not to be safe in your own head. Especially for me… since my mind is my last defense against all the…” Harry straightened, sighing deeply. "Do you know what he said to justify himself? He said, 'It's all for the best.' Severus offered to help me, heal me, and Dumbledore refused him, saying my condition could be useful.” Pushing away from the table, he faced Draco again. He flung his hand up to point above them, almost screaming now. "That man left me with the Dursleys! He _knew_ they hated magic. He _knew_ they wouldn't treat me well; it doesn't matter that he didn't know how far the bastards would go! He did it so that he could 'save' me and make me loyal to his cause! And he will SEND ME BACK!

"God, I can't…" Gasping past the sobs choking him, Harry stepped back, covering his tear-streaked face. "I can't let him break me. I won't let him use me anymore. He's almost killed me already in my first two years here, not to mention this year. But… I know that… if it were to come to a fight, I would lose. He's stronger magically and politically. This is the only way I can defend myself. Anything less…"

"I know." Draco came forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "I do know. If we just immobilized him or knocked him out, he would crush you as soon as he regained consciousness. There's no way we could hold him forever."

"Exactly." They stood silently, awkwardly, while Harry got it together. When he was calm, he asked softly, "Why are _you_ doing this?"

Draco sighed, slowly unrolling his sleeves to give him time to think of his answer. "I grew up hating Dumbledore. It was drilled into my skull by the time I was five-years-old. I've been reconsidering what I was raised to believe lately. I know my father is… not the man I thought he was. That's what made me write you. Some things I was taught, I still believe in. Others I don't."

He sighed again and met his friend's gaze. "To be honest, I don't hate Dumbledore enough to kill him on my own, but he hurt you. He will continue to hurt you, and if he will do that, then he is capable of doing other things that will potentially threaten me and the Wizarding world. I agree that he must be stopped, and this is the only way. His death is the only thing that will stop him now."

"So you're willing to kill someone over the mere fact that they hurt me?" Harry raised an eyebrow with a self-mocking smirk on his lips.

"Tortured you is more like it," Draco sniffed, but then his face became serious. He took in the fourteen-year-old before him. The old green eyes, the pain they hid, the strength they possessed. Harry was his first real friend. If it weren't for Harry, he would still be curled up in childish denial, still stuck inside his father's mad world. He had grown stronger because of Harry, and that connected them more strongly than his friend realized. "Yes. I guess I would kill for you."

Harry just stood there, staring. He didn't know what to make of that. The blond watched him, waiting for a reaction. Harry opened his mouth, not sure what was going to come out and said softy, “Thank you.” He hadn’t foreseen such loyalty and friendship when they stared writing last summer. He would bet all the galleons in the world that Draco hadn't either, but he was glad, fiercely glad, he had chosen to write back.

Draco blushed, heart racing from the affection and gratitude in Harry’s eyes. 

Uncomfortable, Harry quickly changed the subject. “Besides… The poison won't kill him unless we activate it. We won't have to activate it if he doesn't attack me again. He has one more chance."

Draco cleared his throat and tried to focus. “But you don't think he'll take that chance."

"Neither do you.” Harry smiled dryly.

"No. I don’t." Draco shot his friend a curious glance. “How are we going to get Dumbledore to drink it?"

"In small doses, of course. We’ll need the help of a house-elf. Think you can use Dobby again? He's mind has already been tampered with, so Obliviating him later should be easy."

"And I'm a Malfoy," Draco smirked.

“Yes." Harry laughed. "I did take that into consideration. Basically, I thought we would have him bring us Dumbledore's goblet and I'll make it familiar to me. Then whenever Dumbledore eats in the Great Hall, I will banish a few ounces of poison into it."

"You don't think he'll notice the magic?" Draco frowned.

"No." A wicked smile bloomed on Harry's face. "Because you will be causing a mild distraction. Not enough to make Dumbledore leave his seat or meal, but enough magical disturbance that the poison goes unnoticed."

Draco grinned back. "I think I can manage."

**xXxXxXx**

Harry walked into the bathroom, a yawn stretching his face. Sweat was drying on the back of his neck and he wanted to wash it off before it became unbearably itchy. It was late and he was just getting back from the Chamber of Secrets, so at first he didn't realize what he had walked in on. He was halfway to the sinks when he froze.

Neville was sitting in the corner, almost under the last sink in the line. The teen was staring at his exposed forearm and moving a silver razor blade across the skin in steady, efficient strokes. Thin lines of blood trickled down either side and left drops of crimson on the white tile floor and on Neville's pajama pants.

The chubby teen wasn't aware Harry was there. He was completely focused on what he was doing. Like opening a clenched fist, Harry let his empathy loose. He expected turmoil, but all he could sense was contentment, satisfaction, and relief. Neville must have been doing this for awhile if he was so deep in the seductive trance.

"Nev?" Harry moved a few feet closer and crouched down.

His brother jerked, the razor gorging a jagged line among the strait rows before clattering to the blood speckled floor. His brown eyes were wide with shock and Harry had to brace himself as Neville's tranquility shattered. Mortification, guilt, deep frustration, and anger came rushing from the depths of his brother. Harry forced even breaths past his lips, fighting the urge to hyperventilate.

"H-H-Harry… W-w-what are y-y-you….?" Neville couldn't finish. He pulled his sleeve down and banished the knife. Two shaky passes of his wand and all the blood disappeared.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly.

Shame spiked with the frustration. "Nothing," Neville answered in a whisper. He moved to stand, but Harry grabbed his arm, curling his fingers purposefully around the cuts.

"Please, Nev. I'm not judging you. I just want to know what's wrong." He stared into his brother's eyes. "Why are you doing this again? Is it Madigan? Is she not helping you anymore?"

"No." Neville hung his head, shame and helplessness rising off of him like smoke. "I… It's just… It's the only thing that makes me feel… calm."

"What upset you?" Harry whispered, healing magic seeping from his hand still clamped around his brother's arm.

Neville blushed as embarrassment coated his skin. Anger came after, coloring the teen's skin further. "I haven't cut in a long time. Almost two months. I… I've had some really bad urges… but I managed to distract myself… or meditate. Madigan and Remus helped a lot… But… I just… When Dean said… And I felt so angry, but I couldn't say anything… I'm such a coward…"

"What did Dean say?" Harry asked, his voice dropping with icy threat. If that moron had said anything to hurt his brother…

Neville flinched and hung his head. "Nothing." Shame with new nervousness was back.

"You can tell me." Harry consciously softened his voice. "Trust me, brother. Don't push me away now."

The teen lifted his head, looking at Harry through his messy brown bangs. His round cheeks were practically on fire and his lower lip trembled. Harry had seen is brother suffering and happy, but he'd never seen that expression before or felt such fragile vulnerability. 

"You'll think I'm r-r-ridiculous."

"What?" Harry was shocked. He fell forward on his knees and grabbed Neville by his shoulders, looking fiercely into the teen's eyes. “Never! I'll never think that about something that makes you this upset."

"It's… Ginny."

Harry fell back, eyes wide. He began to feel a bit lost. "Ginny?… What… What about her?"

Neville's emotions tangled up so tightly that Harry had no way to distinguish them. "I really… I really like her…" he muttered, refusing to meet Harry's eyes.

"I don't…" Harry shook his head helplessly. "I don't understand what's wrong."

"Don't you see?" Neville lifted his head, his eyes pleading for him to understand. "Ginny's so wonderful and I like her a lot, but… she'll never like me. She shouldn't. Not after… you know. And I'm so clumsy and stupid. Dean's so much better than me. He's good on a broom and funny. Everyone likes him. I don't stand a chance. I can't… I can't even tell her how… how b-b-beautif-f-full she is. I'm such a disgrace. She had to as _me_ to the ball! What kind of man lets the girl ask them out?"

Neville buried his face into his hands and Harry could only stare. He had no idea what to do about this, but had to do _something_. Neville was really upset. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Half of him understood his brother's fears. What happened with Lockhart still made him feel dirty and soiled, too, but the idea of starting a relationship was way more horrifying than any of that. He kinda envied Neville. This was a sure sign that he really was moving past what had happened to them while Harry was still maimed.

"Look, Neville, there's nothing wrong with Ginny asking you to the ball. She must like you. She knows you're shy, so that must not bother her. And you know you're not stupid or clumsy. You know that! Don't forget everything we've learned this summer and how you felt then. Not to mention you're the youngest Animagus in history. There is nothing wrong with you and you're not lacking. You're just nervous and scared. And that's normal, I think."

Neville shook his head. Harry sighed as he felt the hope and disbelief were still in equal measures. He really wasn't good at this. He moved to sit next to his brother and leaned his head back against the wall. He really didn't want to talk about Lockhart, but it looked like he had no choice. Not if he wanted to make Neville feel better, and he really didn't want Neville to cut anymore. It was dangerous.

"I'm proud of you, Nev. I really am. You're not letting Lockhart keep you from liking Ginny. You aren't dirty. It wasn't your fault, and you know it. He was the sick one. We were just…"

"The victims?" Neville asked quietly.

Harry flinched, "… twelve,” he finished instead. "We were children for fuck's sake. Look, don't let what happened stop you from being happy. If you like Ginny, you should act on it. I'll be pissed at you if you let a bastard like Lockhart keep you away from Ginny."

"But… I don't… I can't…"

"What would you tell me?" Harry suddenly demanded, turning to face his brother. "If I had this problem? Would you think I shouldn't because Lockhart made me dirty?"

Neville's eyes went wide. "No!"

"The same for you. You aren't alone. You aren't different from me. We are stronger than him. Don't you remember telling him that he can't touch us, that he can't win? He's the monster! Not us! I won't let you do this to yourself over _him_!" Harry took a deep breath and forced himself to stop yelling. It was hard. In a way, he was talking to himself as well. "He's not worth it, Neville. We have to choose to either let him infect us or not. Don't choose him. Go to Ginny. Tell her how you feel before Dean does."

Neville blushed. His emotions were slashing out, painting the walls with hope and terror.

Harry leaned his shoulder supportively into his friend. "Do you want me to be there with you? I don't mind."

"I can't!" he gasped.

"You have to. You have to, Neville. Please? For me?" Harry looked to his brother, allowed him to see the pain and disgust that he still felt as well. "If you can't do this, then what hope is there for me? I can't even _imagine_ wanting to be with someone else, but you can. You have to do this."

Neville shuddered, his hand moving over to his arm and scratching at the scabs. His eyes were wide and Harry could feel the pressure building. He reached over and captured the scratching hand.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't make you feel like everything depends on you.” Harry shook his head impatiently. "I… I suck at this, I guess. Look. I know how strong you are. I know how brave you can be. I know you can do this, Neville.'

"What if she says no? What if she thinks we're just friends?" Neville demanded. "Worse, what if she says yes and then finds out about me? She'll… she'll be horrified. She'll hate me!"

"Not true!" Harry snapped. He ran his hands roughly through his hair. "She might be horrified, but not with you. She'll be horrified a teacher could do that. She won't hate you. If she does hate you, it won't be for that. It will be because you aren't compatible or something. And if she does say no when you tell her you like her, then… you'll be embarrassed, but it won't kill you. You can still be friends or you can avoid her. It wouldn't be the end of the world, would it?"

"Yes, it would!" Neville yelled, wild-eyed.

"No! The end of the world would be not saying anything at all. Then you'll always doubt yourself. Do you want to do that? Is that how you want to be?"

"No, but I can't be any better. I'm a failure," Neville moaned.

"Stop it!" Harry slapped his arm. "You're not a failure. Do you trust me or not?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me or not?" he repeated, glaring.

"I… Yes. Of course," Neville frowned.

"Well, I'm telling you that you're a good friend. You're a good brother. You are talented and have a powerful, unique magic. We've faced things that none of our peers have ever dreamed of facing, and we've survived. Remus loves you. I love you. Severus respects you. We aren't stupid or delusional, Neville. There is good things in you and Ginny will see that, too."

"How do you know?" he asked tearfully.

"I'm an Empath, remember?" Harry drawled.

"Really? You… You felt her, and she likes me?"

"What do you think?" Harry crossed his arms and lifted his eyebrow.

Neville laughed softly. "You look like Severus when you do that."

Harry smiled back. "So?"

"I… I'll tell her… before b-b-breakf-f-fast," he said shakily and went white as a sheet with fear.

"You can do it, Nev. I'll be close by."

"Alright," he sighed. "Thank you. For everything."

"Call me Shadow. I'm starting to get fond of the nickname," Harry smiled wryly.

"Shadow," Neville corrected. "Isn't that the name Draco and you came up with?"

“Yeah." Harry leaned his head back tiredly. "I just got back from meeting him."

"Basilisk almost done?"

"Nope. It's huge!" Harry groaned, making Neville laugh.

His smile melted, however, as Neville turned to look at his brother. "I… I was wondering… What made Draco change his mind about the Dark Lord and his father?"

Harry looked at him curiously. "Why? You don't believe he's sincere?"

"No, it's not that." Neville shook his head. "I can tell he's your friend, but… What exactly changed his mind? You don't have to tell me. It's alright," he hurriedly added.

"No… I don't mind. I trust you to keep it secret. The thing is, he never told me exactly what happened. The first time he wrote me he said I made him curious with my cryptic remarks, and that a Gryffindor who was secretly dating a Slytherin had told him some interesting stories about how Ron and Hermione were treating me, but even at that early date, he wasn't pleased with his father because in the same letter he offered to tell me information about Lucius in exchange for explaining where I stood in Gryffindor and with Dumbledore."

"It must have been something really bad," Neville murmured. "I've been wondering for a while. I just couldn't imagine going against my parents and they aren't really… around to tell me what to do. It must have been a hundred times worse for Draco to turn on his family."

"His mother supports Draco abandoning the Dark Lord. He said she told him that Voldemort enslaves his followers and turns them into something they aren't, which was happening to Lucius again," Harry said thoughtfully. Now that Neville pointed it out, he was curious, too. "I asked him why he was turning on his father. Draco just said Lucius had changed. Draco called him driven and pointlessly cruel, if I remember correctly. Said Lucius had started to change since second year and last summer it got worse."

"That doesn't sound good.” Neville frowned and shifted uncomfortably. "My butt's numb."

Harry laughed. "Mine, too. Come on." He stood and helped Neville to his feet. "And really… How can you think Dean is better than you? He's an obnoxious and immature prat."

Neville smiled. "He's nice. And… Shadow? Thanks."

**xXxXxXx**

The next morning, Neville and Harry sat waiting in the common room. Harry had to firmly shoo their friends out the door. Neither he nor Neville wanted them around, especially Ron and the twins. Who knew how they would react to Neville asking their sister out? Half the House had already left for breakfast when Ginny came down.

Her long red hair was braided and her brown eyes were bright and happy as she talked to another third year girl. Her black school robes were open and revealed thin, coltish legs in black slacks and small breasts under a white button-down shirt. Her collar was open revealing a braided necklace of red and gold. Her long nails were painted a pale pink and the gloss on her lips reflected light.

Neville was white as a sheet and his fear was as thick as a waterfall as Harry opened his empathy. Swaying, Harry pushed his back firmly against the back of the chair he was sitting in. He stared at Ginny, forcing his senses to cut through his brother's emotions. He sensed her soft amusement, affection, and a faint blush of attraction as she spotted Neville. Neville was about burst apart as Ginny made her way over, waving her friend on without her.

"Morning, guys!"

"Good morning," Harry answered tightly, shutting down his empathy. He looked at his trembling brother and elbowed him in the side. "I was just waiting with Neville. I'll see you at breakfast then?"

"Y-y-yeah… s-s-s-sure," Neville stuttered in a whisper.

Harry walked off, but he went right back in under the invisibility cloak he had put in his pocket this morning. Neville was standing now, his face a strange mixture of pale white and red as Ginny spoke to him with a bright voice about some dragon show her brother told her about.

"So…" Ginny finally fell silent, then she smiled. "I guess, we should go to breakfast…"

"I… I just… I wanted…" Neville was sweating and Harry bit his lips, praying his brother was able to do this.

"Yes?" Ginny looked into his eyes hopefully, but Neville dropped her gaze almost immediately.

"I…" Neville reached into his pocket and pulled out a perfectly preserved red rose. He was just as red as the flower, but Ginny had stopped breathing and a gorgeous smile broke out on her face. "I just wanted…"

"It's beautiful," Ginny said gently, brushing her fingers against his as she took it. Harry rolled his eyes, but he was grinning as well. He was so damn proud of Neville.

"Will… will you… Will you be…?" Neville was choking; he looked about ready to faint.

"I would love to be your girlfriend, Neville Longbottom," Ginny spoke up, stepping forward and kissing his cheek.

Neville squeaked and went even redder, but her acceptance made him relax. He smiled and took her hand. "Did you know the rose symbolizes love, but the red color is what makes it a romantic love? It also has several properties that make it good for healing. This species in particular…"

Harry didn't hear the rest as the two walked out of the common room together and went to breakfast. He laughed softly, pulling the cloak off and going back to the dorm room to put it back in his trunk. His brother had done it! He even let Ginny kiss his cheek. Harry thought it was amazing that his brother _wanted_ her to kiss his cheek. Shaking his head, he made his way down to the Great Hal, still smiling with amazement.

**xXxXxXx**

"So what are you going to do?" Harry asked Neville later that day as they stepped out of Transfiguration. They had a free period before dinner and he was thinking he'd go up to the library to study.

"Ginny and I are going to for a walk in the south courtyard," Neville answered with a warm blush.

Harry had watched the new couple during meals and whenever they saw each other in the halls. It was strange and cute. Ginny was a rambunctious, surprisingly mature, happy girl. She brought out a playful side of his brother that rarely was used. And Neville tamed Ginny's energy a bit. She was more serene. Harry wondered how long they would last together.

"What are you thinking about?" Hermione smiled as he approached her table.

"Neville and Ginny," Harry admitted, sitting down.

Hermione usually tied her hair back in a messy ponytail while she studied, but lately she had been braiding it. Mostly because of her other company. Viktor sat at her other side, a book in front of him not being used as he spoke with and watched the bushy-haired witch.

"I must go," Viktor suddenly said. He closed the book and bowed to Hermione before striding from the library. Hermione was frowning after him.

"I take it he didn't mention having to leave at this time?" Harry asked carefully.

"No. He didn't," Hermione huffed.

Harry looked thoughtfully toward the door. "I think… I think he might be avoiding me." He hadn't really thought about it, but Viktor and he hadn't hung out once since the Second Task. Maybe the Bulgarian was mad at him for not coming around? Or he could be mad that Cedric Cedric was in first and Harry was in second.

"Why would he do that?" Hermione asked worriedly. "I thought you were friends."

"We are," Harry reassured her, offering a half smile. "It's probably nothing. I'll talk to him later, promise."

"I'm supposed to meet him after dinner by the lake. Why don't you go instead?" she offered, eyes hopeful. "I don't want you two to fight. It was horrible when you and Ron were fighting."

"No. You go ahead and meet him. I'll talk to him later." Harry summoned the books he needed to learn the lynx form and began arranging them around him. "It will be alright, Hermione."

She nodded, but she didn't turn back to her own study. "I think Neville and Ginny make a real cute couple. Ginny is so happy." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she said, "She won't shut up about how sweet and loving Neville is."

"Really?" Harry drawled. "I might have to tell him so."

"Don't you dare!" Hermione swatted his arm with a grin. "She'd be so embarrassed."

"I doubt anything can embarrass her," Harry sniffed. "But seriously… Do you really think they make a good couple. Neville's so shy and she's so outgoing."

"Well, opposites attract," Hermione said wisely.

"You need some common ground in a relationship, though," Harry argued. "You and Viktor share a thirst for knowledge, for example."

"Neville and Ginny are both kind and compassionate people. Family and friends means a lot to both of them. As for Neville being shy, maybe he won't be so timid anymore and Ginny is toning down her attitude as she realizes she doesn't have to be loud to get attention. They'll be fine, Harry."

"If you say so." Harry shrugged. "Quiz me?"

"Sure." Hermione took his book. "You can quiz me next."

**xXxXxXx**

Harry waited until midnight to sneak down to the abandoned classroom that Draco had taught him to dance in. The blond was already waiting there. He smiled as Harry took off his invisibility cloak and they both warded the room for silence and put up charms that would make wizards and witches want to avoid the room.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"Whenever you are," Draco answered, his wand and gaze steady.

Harry nodded and called for Dobby. The little elf popped into the room and looked around in confusion. Seeing the two students, he wrung his hands and his bulbous eyes filled with uncertainty. Harry stepped forward with Draco in a smoothly synchronized movement. The elf squeaked, but kept his gaze on Harry, who was trying to make his expression as soft as he could.

"Hello, Dobby," he said gently. "I need your help."

"Help, sir?" the elf squeaked. "What can Dobby be doing for you?"

"You know Winky has been behaving suspiciously. She has kept a bond to her previous master and is not serving Hogwarts' best interests."

"No, oh I'm sure Winky not be hurting Hogwarts!" Dobby cried, wringing his hands more violently.

"You know that isn't true," Draco drawled, tapping his wand in his open palm.

"And you brought her here," Harry added sadly. "I know you didn't mean to. Bad wizards made you do it, but I'd still like to give you a chance to make sure Winky doesn't do anything bad and get in trouble."

"How, sir?" Dobby asked tearfully.

"I need Dumbledore's goblet. Can you bring it here? I want to make sure Winky hasn't changed it to hurt the headmaster."

"She wouldn't! No! Winky a good elf!" Dobby wailed, pulling on his ears.

"Dobby, I just want to make sure," Harry soothed. "If Winky does hurt the headmaster, it wouldn't be her fault. It's her previous master's fault for doing this to her. He should never have released her without breaking the bond between them first."

"Bad Crouch! Crouch is being a very, very bad wizard!" Dobby yelled and then preceded to punish himself.

"Dobby, we don't have time for this. Either help us or go back to your kitchen and pretend you don't know Winky is under the control of a very bad wizard," Draco said coldly, his grey eyes glinting in the dim light.

"We are trying to find a way to break Crouch's hold on Winky, Dobby, but until we can we need to make sure she doesn't do anything bad. That way when she is truly Hogwarts nobody will have to know what she almost did when she was still under Crouch's control. We are trying to keep her from getting in trouble."

"Oh, Harry Potter is a great wizard," Draco sobbed. "You being so kind to house-elves, sir! And Master Draco is being not like his father at all! Harry Potter is a good friend to make Master Draco a good wizard, too!"

"Thank you, Dobby. I'm just glad I could help.” Harry smiled, trying not to laugh when Draco rolled his eyes behind Dobby's back. "Will you fetch the goblet, Dobby? I need to check it and then I'll give it right back to you."

"Yes, sir! Right away!" Dobby shouted and popped away.

"Looks like you didn't need me at all.” Draco crossed his arms and pouted.

Harry laughed. "Don't feel bad, my Serpentine Prince. He still calls you Master Draco. I'm sure your presence has influenced him to our favor."

Draco lifted an eyebrow. "You are in a good mood."

Harry met his gaze, even as a blush stained his cheeks. "I won't feel bad that I'm happy I'll be able to protect myself from Dumbledore."

"You still feel it's a bit twisted to be pleased about all this, though," Draco said shrewdly.

Harry looked away. "Maybe a bit, but I know it's necessary."

Draco couldn't say anything else; Dobby returned with a loud crack. Harry took the goblet and memorized it. He cast a few diagnostic spells, learning what it was made of. When he felt he would be able to banish the poison into it successfully, he handed it back to the solemn and grateful elf that Draco had been distracting while Harry worked.

"Nothing was wrong with it. I am very proud of Winky. She must be trying to resist the evil Crouch."

"Oh, yes! Yes, Winky is a good elf!" Dobby said eagerly, hugging the goblet to his chest.

"Watch over her, Dobby. Don't let her do something that she would be upset with herself later for doing," Harry encouraged.

"Yes, Harry Potter! I be helping Winky be a good elf!" Dobby nodded so much that Harry was a bit afraid his head would roll off.

"Thank you, Dobby. You are doing a great service to Hogwarts," Draco murmured.

"Thank you, Master Draco!" the elf cried and burst into tears before popping away.

"Tomorrow then," Draco said with a sigh, running a hand through his loose hair.

"Tomorrow," Harry agreed. He stared at the blond thoughtfully until Draco lifted an eyebrow in question. "I was just wondering… Do you think you’re ready to tell me what happened last summer? Your letter didn't come until almost three weeks after school let out. What made you write me?"

Draco’s whole body went tense. His shoulders pulled up and his jaw went tight. ”You don't trust me?" he asked stiffly.

"That's not it.” Harry shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "And you know it. I was just wondering what happened to you. We are friends now."

“And will you tell me more specifically how your mind fractured? You never did,” Draco sneered.

Harry glared. "I told you about Dumbledore.”

"That doesn't tell me how you got this condition in the first place," Draco drawled with a smug smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. Neither of them thought any of this was funny.

Harry stared at him. It was true he hadn't explained. Sure, he had hinted by saying one of the reasons he had to protect himself from Dumbledore was because the old man would send him back to the Dursleys, but that's not the same as telling Draco about Rose or Boy. It's not at all the same as telling him about Demon. Did Harry want to? Could he handle telling the blond so much? If he couldn't, then he had no right to ask about Draco's home life.

"You're right.” He bowed his head stiffly. "Maybe I should tell you."

Draco's mouth dropped open in shock. He had been certain that pushing his friend would result in Harry dropping the subject for both of them, but Harry hadn't. Harry was actually going to tell him what happened to him, expecting Draco to be able to do the same. His heart began to beat faster in his chest. He spent all his time not thinking about home, about what he could expect when school ended. He was ashamed, afraid, and mortified that he was so afraid in the first place. Could he confess? If he didn't, would Harry pull away from him again?

"A-a-alright," he stuttered and took a deep breath, blushing at his weakness. "Now?"

"No better time," Harry drawled and gestured to the desks.

They took seats three desks away from each other, needing the space. Harry even dimmed the already weak lights, so they sat in near complete darkness. Draco felt himself relax a bit at that. It was a lot easier talking when he could pretend he was alone in the room. He cleared his throat, but Harry didn't respond, further enhancing the illusion.

"My father… He taught me what it was to be a Pureblood. He taught me how to maneuver and how to plot. He'd take me to meetings and he’d teach me magic. At night, he would tell me stories of the Great Dark Lord and his tragic fall to the unyielding and hypocritical Light side. When I mastered a new dark spell, he'd be so proud of me. He'd smile and hug me, lift me up and carry me to my mother where he'd boast about my skill. He taught me to fly my broom."

Draco closed his eyes, fighting the tears. "He was a stern father but a good one. He loved me and I knew it. But… He began to get distant when I started at Hogwarts. I got home expecting him to say he missed me; instead he… He was very angry that a _Mudblood_ was doing better than me in my classes. He told me that they were scum and didn't even know magic existed until that year. How dare I dishonor the Malfoy name? It was disgraceful.

"After that, my father wouldn't even look at me except to sneer in disgust. I was… I was so ashamed. I… I could hardly eat or sleep for a week. I hated Granger with all my heart. My mother did her best to make me feel better, but I only cared about my father. So when he ordered me to come down to the dungeons a month before school and begin to learn some of the deeper Dark Arts, I was willing to do about anything for him."

Draco fell silent. He could see those dungeons as if he were standing there now. The things he had watched still gave him nightmares. He was grateful that Harry didn't ask him to continue, but putting it off wasn't going to make this any easier, so he took a deep breath and continued.

"I had never been brought down there before. I knew about the dungeons under our Manor, of course, but…" Draco shook his head and clenched his fists on his thighs. "He had captured ten Muggles. Each one lasted three days…" Draco bit his lip so hard he could taste blood and that made him want to gag. He shakily cast a healing charm and wrapped his arms around his chest. "He made me watch him kill them all. He made memorize the Dark curses, expecting me to memorize them even if I couldn't cast them yet. The only thing that kept me from falling apart was telling myself they were Muggles. They weren't really people. They were like monkeys. Animals."

He punched the desk, wanting to yell, but hissed instead. "I blamed Granger. It was her fault. If she wasn't so bloody smart, my father wouldn't have been so mad at me. He wouldn't have demanded I prove myself like that. I came back to school with so much anger and hatred, with so many nightmares, and then the Chamber opened, and it started attacking students. I… I can't tell you what that felt like. These were people I knew. Kids like me. I was so glad when it was all over. But my father… He was so very angry. It had been him who slipped Weasley the diary. He wanted the Chamber open and for all the students who weren't worthy to be killed. I was a wreck and lost a lot of weight. He screamed at me for being weak. He swore he'd make me strong…"

Draco covered his face with shaking hands. "I lived under Imperio that summer. He made me eat three meals a day, sleep nine to ten hours at night. The rest of the time… I lived in the library, studying every textbook I had. When I was through with those, I studied the Dark Arts and the history of the First War. On the last day of summer, he took the Imperio off and told me in this cool voice that was how a Pureblood was supposed to act. That was when I really began to fear him," he confessed hoarsely. "Living under the Imperio Curse… it was beyond horrible. Like I were the walking dead. I had been completely content never going flying or eating sweets or hugging my mother. None of that even occurred to me. I felt…" Draco's voice was broken. Like gravel and glass "…soulless." 

For a long time, he just breathed. When he could speak again, he was calmer. "Then I got back to school. I didn't know what to do except pretend none of it had happened, but it was… It was like I was always slightly out of place. I couldn't… I felt invisible. But then… then you began acting strange sometimes, and it was like… It was like you would step through the film separating me from everyone else and you'd see me. You'd say things and I'd actually feel like you were talking to _me_. And the things you said… It made me start thinking about my father, and more than that, it made me think of my mother.

"When I got home, I talked to her. She cried for me. She told me how much she loved me and how wrong my father was for hurting me so. She explained that he was acting this way because his soul had been taken by the Dark Lord. That the Dark Lord makes slaves of his people because he is incapable of trust and this is what it does to them.” Draco went limp in his chair, head resting on the seat back as he stared blankly up into darkness. "I realized that my father was the man who raised me and was proud of me. This new man. That wasn't my father. This new man was a Death Eater and I hated him. 

“I had never hated before; not Granger, not you, not Muggles. This was real hate, and I hated _Death Eaters_. So I wrote you. I'm lucky really. If it weren't for my father being so busy with work and being gone so much, I probably wouldn't have had the space to realize what I did. He would have forced me into his footsteps, but my mother was there and he wasn't. And so were you. You're letters really changed a lot for me. Hearing about how you were able to defeat the Dark Lord so many times really gave me courage." He grinned weakly, silent tears rolling down his pale cheeks. "Two Slytherins with courage. What would the world make of us?"

"The world would do best to get out of our way," Harry's voice came out of the darkness.

Draco laughed wetly. "Damn straight."

After a quiet moment where Draco got his breathing under control, Harry sighed. ”My turn, I guess. It all started the day Voldemort came for my parents on Halloween night. When he cast the Killing Curse at me, it collided with the protective spell activated by my mother's death. It rebounded, but a sliver of the curse seeped through and struck me in the head, cutting me and burrowing into my soul, trying to separate it from my body, but it was too weak to do that. It was evil, so I pushed it away, tearing a bit of my own soul so that it could wrap around it and keep it buried. Over time, it gained a consciousness of a sort. It slept, deep inside my mind. Later I would name this alter Demon.

"Dumbledore put me in a basket, wrote a note, and left me at the Dursley's doorstep. My mother's sister, her husband, and son were to by my new family. It was alright at first, but when they discovered I had magic, they were not pleased." Harry smiled wryly. "That was when I broke away from my mind again. I left a small portion to take the abuse while the majority of my mind was protected with ignorance and slept. The new alter took the name Boy. Thankfully, Boy could unconsciously access our magic and healed himself. I don't know exactly what was done to Boy, but there was always a lot of blood left behind when I woke up. Let's just say Vernon beat him.”

Harry hesitated, but it felt ridiculous to tell Draco so much and leave out Rose. "The second alter was born when my aunt, Petunia, began demanding I do chores. She made me cook and clean, but she would also call me worthless and tell me how horrible my parents were and that I didn't deserve to be taken care of. She told me I was a burden and a thousand other horrible things. I was only five years old and it really hurt me. I panicked and left behind an empathetic, deaf alter. This alter named herself Rose. She thought she was a girl because Petunia was her role model."

Harry went on to tell him about Silas and Gabriel. He retold the stories of the Sorcerer's Stone, the Chamber of Secrets, and Third-year, but this time he told the truth. The only thing he left out was Kit and Lockhart. Draco sat and listened, never interrupting as Harry told him about the summer and merging with Rose. He had already explained what had happened this year with Dumbledore, but he went into more detail about merging with Gabriel. When he finished, he was exhausted.

"Now I now why you are so certain of Professor Snape," Draco said softly. "So only Boy and Demon are yet to merge?"

"That's right," Harry agreed tiredly.

"Demon sounds terrifying," the blond said softly. "And Boy… They both seem too much to merge with."

Harry smiled grimly. ”I know. I don't have any plans on merging with either of them any time soon.”

"I'm sorry all that happened to you." Draco cast a Lumos and met the tired green eyes across from him. "It really pisses me off, and I swear to you that I will help with any revenge you plan to take on the Dursleys."

"Thanks." Harry laughed. He cast Tempus and sighed. "It's almost five in the morning. We should go."

Draco nodded. He stood and they made their way to the door, but before Harry could take down the wards he had put up Draco grabbed his arm. 

Harry turned and stared at Draco whose face was hard and determined. 

"We _will_ destroy Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Shadow. You were right. The world should definitely get out of our way," the Slytherin said with certainty.

Harry smiled. "I agree completely. We're in this together now."

Draco smiled back, hearing exactly what he needed to hear.

**Chapter End**


	43. The Beginning of the End

**The Beginning of the End:**

**The Third Task**

Dumbledore wasn't at breakfast the next morning. The headmaster often missed meals lately, so the boys weren't worried. Lunch came and went, still no headmaster. Harry was starting to feel a bit tense, just wanting to get this over with. Thankfully, Dumbledore was back by dinner. It was hard, but Harry managed not to look over at Draco. Instead, he patted his pocket, making sure he had the vial of poison wrapped in the trigger spell. He fingered the wand up his sleeve and got ready.

Suddenly Peeves came shooting into the Hall. Cries of dismay ran through the seated students, even the first years knew enough by now to flinch away from the annoying poltergeist. Several teachers stood, but Peeves was quicker still. He shot over to the Slytherin table, hooting as he threw a dozen water balloons. Loud screams and curses were being shouted as the ghost did a flip.

"You's should be grateful little snakes," the ghost sing-songed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you April showers bring May flowers?"

Harry flicked his wand, silently mouthing the Banishing Charm as Severus cast a drying charm at his House. Dumbledore stood and smiled merrily at Peeves, telling him he knew he wasn't aloud in the Great Hall. The ghost went, cackling loudly. McGonagall came over and began scolding the twins heatedly for setting this up. No one believed them when they protested they didn't do it.

Harry watched out of the corner of his eye as the Headmaster chuckled, shaking his head, and took a sip from his goblet. He set it back down and began eating, none the wiser. Harry smiled grimly.

"Think they did it?" Neville asked from Harry's side.

“No." Ginny shook her head, frowning at her brothers. "They wouldn't be this upset over being caught if they had done it. They _like_ being recognized for their pranks."

Harry shrugged. "I think it's funny no matter who did it."

"I agree!" Ron laughed. "The Slytherins looked like drowned rats!"

"Professor Snape doesn't look too happy," Hermione murmured. "I hope he doesn't find out who did it."

Harry looked up to see his mentor scowling at the rest of the Houses. Particularly at the Gryffindor table. "I think whoever did it would have covered their tracks for just that reason," he said, smiling serenely.

The twins didn't look at all like they were going to be merciful to whomever had out-pranked them _and_ arranged for them to take the fall. They began whispering to each other, and Fred got out some parchment and ink. Lee and Katie tried to see over their shoulders, but the twins blocked them. 

“True." Neville nodded. "But I would be more worried about the twins finding out. They can do more damage than Professor Snape."

Ginny's eyes went wide. "You have no idea how right you are, Nev."

"Bet they're writing Padfoot," Ron whispered.

"And so a prank war begins.” Ginny sighed dramatically.

Harry grinned down at his food and silently applauded Draco. He had a feeling that it was going to be simple to dose the headmaster from now on.

**xXxXxXx**

Fred and George did indeed start a prank war. Draco participated just enough to keep them interested in continuing the pranks, doing two stunts to every five of the twins. Fred and George had no idea who they were up against, even though they still tried to get Peeves to confess. Harry was able to successfully slip Dumbledore five doses of the poison over the next four weeks, and he only had half the vial left.

May 24th arrived and that night all the champions were told to meet on the Quidditch Pitch. Harry was looking forward to it, if only because he'd be able to corner Viktor. He had tried twice to talk to the Seeker, but Viktor managed to escape both times. Hermione said she had asked him why he was avoiding Harry, but he wouldn't answer her. She hadn't pushed it, not wanting to upset him.

Summer was just starting, but it was dark by eight-thirty when Harry made his way outside. He ran into Cedric on the way, and the two champions made their way toward the Pitch. Both of them stopped dead when they passed through the stands to see thick, ugly hedges growing where smooth lawn should have been.

"What have they done to it?" Cedric asked with horror.

"Hello there!" called a cheery voice and they turned to see Ludo Bagman waving them over. He was standing in the middle of the mess of hedges with Viktor and Fleur already at his side. Harry and Cedric made their way over. "Well, what do you think?" Bagman asked excitedly when they were within easy speaking distance. "Growing nicely, aren't they? Give them a month and Hagrid'll have them twenty feet high! Don't worry," he added, spotting Cedric's grimace, "you'll have your Quidditch field back to normal once the task is over! Now, I imagine you can guess what we're making here?"

Viktor scowled. "A maze.”

"That's right! A maze. The Third Task's really very straightforward. The Triwizard Cup will be placed in the center of the maze. The first champion to touch it will receive full marks."

"We seemply 'ave to get through the maze?" Fleur frowned doubtfully, flicking her long, blonde hair gracefully over her shoulder.

Bagman happily explained that there would be creatures provided by Hagrid (this caused Harry and Cedric to wince) and spells to break, as well as having to deal with the maze itself. The first one to the Cup won. Cedric would start first, then Harry, then Viktor, and last Fleur. Supposedly they all had a chance at winning.

The four champions disbanded, glum and staring at the maze as they made their way back to their carriages, ship, or castle. Harry jogged quickly up to Viktor's side. The Seeker kept glaring straight ahead, as if he didn't notice the fourteen-year-old walking beside him. Harry glared a bit himself and stopped the Bulgarian with a firm hand on his arm.

"Can we talk?" he asked stiffly.

Viktor looked like he wished he could do anything else but nodded. Harry veered away from the lake and the Pitch, heading toward the forest edge. It was dark, but the moon was bright and he didn't want anyone to be able to see them. Viktor followed without protest. They stopped only a few feet into the trees. Harry knew how dangerous it could be and wasn't willing to go any farther.

"We won't be overheard," he said and lifted an eyebrow expectantly, his arms crossed over his chest. "Why are you avoiding me?"

"I vant you to know ve are friends," Viktor began, glowering at the trees and not meeting Harry's eyes. "But I must vin dis tournament. I cannot lose, you understand. It is very important for me. Much depends on de result."

Harry eyed the tall and burly Seeker. "I don't care if you win. Honest, Viktor. I'm not in it for the Cup."

"Then…" Viktor stared at him like he were from another planet.

"I can't explain. No more than you can tell me why it's so important for you win," Harry smiled wryly. "You'll just have to believe me."

Viktor stared at him for a minute before relaxing, his face softening with a slight smile. "I do trust you."

"Good…" Harry said and was about to say something else when something moved in the forest. His hand snapped up and silenced the Seeker, while his other aimed his wand.

Suddenly a man staggered out form behind a tall oak. Harry immediately cast a binding spell, but the man dodged under it. He wasn't able to avoid Viktor's stunner, however. "Crouch!" Harry growled, flipping the man over and casting a light Lumos. He bound the man up with a quick spell and was about to wake him when Viktor grabbed his arm.

"Vot are you doing? Isn't he a judge?" he hissed.

Harry stared down at the man. He looked a mess. His robes were torn and filthy; his hair was standing up every which way and leaves and twigs were stuck throughout it. He looked very little like the man who came to judge them for every task. "I just want to question him. Then we'll get the others." Harry pulled his arm free.

Crouch came awake, babbling uselessly to someone named Weatherby (Harry suspected he meant Percy). Harry shouted Crouch's name several times to no effect and finally resorted to slapping him. Viktor was staring at Harry with dark watchful eyes and the teen fought the impulse to just Stupefy the Seeker.

"Dumbledore!" Crouch gasped, reaching out and seizing Harry by his robes. "I need… see… Dumbledore…"

"Vot is rong with him?"

"No idea," Harry breathed, his attention still on the man before them.

"I've done… stupid… thing…" Crouch breathed. He looked utterly mad. His eyes were rolling and bulging, and a trickle of spittle was sliding down his chin. Every word he spoke seemed to cost him a terrible effort. "Must… tell… Dumbledore…"

"Tell him what?" Harry coaxed.

"Warn… Dumbledore…" he gasped and hissed, his lips peeled back from his teeth. "Must tell… Dumbledore… my fault… all my fault… Bertha… dead… all my fault… my son… my fault… Dark Lord… stronger… warn Harry… Potter…"

"Where is your son?" Harry demanded, staring into the man's eyes intently.

But Crouch's strength finally gave and he fell backward, limp, muttering and babbling insanely once again. Harry sneered in disgust and stood. Viktor was looking a bit disturbed himself and was backing away. 

"Wait." Harry gestured for him to come back. "Will you watch him? Make sure no one comes near him. I'll be right back with help." Viktor looked like he would refuse. "Please?" Harry asked.

"Okay. Hurry, von't you?" he relented, kneeling next to the drooling madman.

Harry nodded and sprinted back toward the castle. He had no intention of getting the headmaster, however, and made his way toward the dungeons. Luckily, Severus was already on his way up and they met right in front of the Great Hall.

"What is it?" Severus asked intensely, knowing immediately something was wrong.

"Crouch showed up in the forest. Something's wrong with him," Harry said quickly, breathing heavily.

"Show me." He grabbed the teen's shoulder and propelled him back outside, but before he could take a step Dumbledore called from behind them, "Is there a problem?"

"It appears Potter has found someone on the school grounds. I was going to take a look," Severus answered evenly.

"Lead the way, Harry," Dumbledore said with a worried frown.

Harry nodded stiffly, turning quickly so the old man couldn't see him grind his teeth in frustration. He led the two of them back toward the forest at a quick trot, all the while his mind was racing, trying to think of a way to remain on the scene and find out what was going on. 

When they reached the place Harry had left Crouch, he cursed. Viktor was lying on the ground unconscious and there was no sign of Crouch anywhere. Dumbledore bent over Viktor and softly spelled him awake.

Viktor gasped and tried to sit up, but Dumbledore kept a hand firmly on his shoulder. "He attacked me!" Viktor growled. "The old madman attacked me! I vos looking around to see vare Harry had gone and he attacked from behind!"

"Lie still for a moment," Dumbledore said gently, shooting a silver message off toward the castle. "Tell me what the man looked like."

Viktor stumbled his way through a description, but he kept out any mention that Harry had questioned Crouch before fetching a teacher. Dumbledore's face grew more and more dark. He sent off another silver message.

"Severus, start looking for Barty Crouch. It is essential that we find him quickly," he said grimly.

The Potion Master nodded and disappeared into the dark trees. A second later, Moody came stomping up and was given the same directions. Karkaroff arrived a minute later. He looked livid. He was wearing his sleek silver furs and he held his wand in the open, ready to fire. 

"What is this?" he snarled when he saw Viktor lying on the ground next to Dumbledore and Harry. "What is going on?"

"I vos attacked!" Viktor said, finally forcing himself up right and rubbing at his head. "Crouch or votever his name…"

"The Triwizard judge attacked you?" the man spluttered, his face becoming a dangerous shade of red.

"Igor," Dumbledore began, but Karkaroff had drawn himself up, clutching his wand tightly.

"Treachery!" he bellowed. "It is a plot! You and your Ministry of Magic have lured me here under false pretenses, Dumbledore! This is not an equal competition! First you sneak Potter into the tournament though he is underage! Now one of your Ministry friends attempts to put _my_ champion out of action! I smell double-dealing and corruption in this whole affair, and you, Dumbledore, you, with your talk of closer international wizarding links, of rebuilding old ties, of forgetting old differences - this is what I think of _you_!"

Karkaroff spat at Dumbledore's feet. The old wizard just stared back at him solemnly. Karkaroff snarled again, grabbed Viktor by the arm, and stormed off, promising dire retribution. Harry shifted his weight, suddenly aware he was alone with the headmaster, somewhere he had promised himself to avoid.

"Harry…" the man sighed tiredly. "Harry, I want you to go up to Gryffindor Tower and stay there. Anything you might want to do - any owls you might want to send - they can wait until morning, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir.” Harry nodded his head and left the woods. He wondered fleetingly if Dumbledore thought he was going to write Remus or Sirius, but was soon thinking about Crouch. He knew Severus would tell him everything later. In fact, he would go up to the Tower, collect his cloak and possibly Neville and return to the dungeons to wait for him.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus came back to his rooms around dawn to find Harry and Neville waiting for him. They looked at him hopefully, but he could only shake his head. They had found no trace of Crouch in the forest. He then demanded that Harry retell what Crouch said several times. None of them knew what to make of it besides the obvious.

"What do you think was wrong with him?" Neville asked softly.

"I would say a mind altering curse or potion of some kind," Severus answered absently. His gaze sharpened as he looked at Harry. "I am more concerned that you willingly walked out-of-bounds with Krum, of all people. You are well aware someone is after you, and whoever absconded with Crouch must have been mere feet away from you in the forest! How could you do something so reckless?"

"It was dangerous," Harry allowed. "It won't happen again."

"I should hope not," Severus sneered.

"Now what?" Neville asked nervously, looking from his Professor to his brother.

"We wait and watch.” Harry shrugged. "Nothing has changed really. I have to learn my Animagus form before the task, and we need to keep our eyes open for more clues. Whoever is behind this messed up. They might do it again."

Severus nodded, his expression hard. "I will keep looking for Crouch." He glared at the two boys sharp enough to cut them. "You two: stay out of trouble!"

**xXxXxXx**

Harry was walking to the library, his mind on what happened the night before with Crouch. Lunch had just finished and he had two hours before his next class. It was a good time to study his form, but he was having a hard time concentrating. He felt edgy and agitated, but he wasn't sure why. Scowling and wiping sweat from his brow, he turned the last corner before the library doors.

Suddenly, his scar began to tingle and then burn; the pain steadily increasing. Hissing, Harry hurried back the way he had come and slammed into an abandoned room. It was full of dusty furniture, but it was too small to have been a classroom; maybe it was once an office? Harry cried out, falling to his knees. One hand clutched his head while the other lifted his wand. He stuttered out the locking spell just before darkness swallowed him with jagged spikes…

… _He was soaring, bodiless, toward the old ivory-covered house. It looked familiar, but it took him a moment to recognize it. It was the same house he had seen in the last vision of Voldemort and looked less frightening in the light of day. Moving on, Harry swooped in through an open window, gliding down an empty hallway till he reached a staircase. He flew up it silently and stopped at the opened door at the end of the hall._

_The room was dirty and dark, the windows all boarded up. But there was a fireplace, and the small blaze cast light and shadows on the walls and ceiling. The only thing in the room was a large chair pulled close to the fire and a thick rug, stained in several places by dried blood. A huge snake was curled up there, as close to the fire as it could get. Next to the snake, a man cowered before the chair. Sweat glistened on the balding head, and Harry could hear pained sobs slipping out between tightly closed lips._

" _You are in luck, Wormtail," Voldemort said, his voice cold and unforgettable._

_Harry moved to see the disfigured creature sitting in the chair. It was pale and hairless; it's mouth looked huge and gaping. The small hands held a long wand, and it's eyes were bright with cruelty and madness. Harry had to clench his hands to prevent them from striking out at the disgusting figure. The wand twitched and Wormtail screamed, convulsing. It took several minutes for him to fall quiet again._

" _You are very fortunate indeed," the evil creature hissed, the mouth making horrid wet smacking sound in between his words. "Your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead and no one will be able to find his body."_

" _My Lord!" Wormtail gasped, exhausted and still shaking. "My Lord, I am… I am so pleased… and so sorry…"_

" _Nagini, you are out of luck. I will not be feeding Wormtail to you, after all… But never mind, never mind, there is still Harry Potter…" Voldemort began to laugh. Harry bit through his own lip to keep from screaming, just to drown out the sound. "Now, Wormtail, perhaps one more little reminder why I will not tolerate another blunder from you."_

" _My Lord… no… I beg you…" he sobbed brokenly._

_The tip of the wand dipped again, this time Voldemort actually spoke the curse. "Crucio!"_

_And Wormtail screamed, and it wasn't a human sound. The way his whole body convulsed, his arms and legs thrashing, made Harry sick. And the screams got louder, longer, higher in pitch until Harry was screaming with him, his hands covering his ears until his scar began hurting so badly that he began scratching at it desperately…_

Harry sat up, gasping and crying. His hands came away from his head slowly as the burning stopped. Blood slicked his palms and was drying under his fingernails. He swayed, his vision going gray a bit, but he grit his teeth and took deep breaths through his nose. He couldn't black out again. He didn't want to be pulled back into a vision.

As he gathered his strength, he tried to figure out what he had seen. Voldemort was pissed at Wormtail for failing to do something. Something that had to do with Crouch, but someone else - Crouch Jr? - was able to kidnap, kill, and hide Crouch before Crouch could do any damage to Voldemort's plan. But what the _fuck_ was his plan? Harry punched the ground. Why couldn't he figure it out? It was right in front of him, he knew it!

He wasn't going to figure it out like this. Slowly, he got to his feet and unlocked the door. A quick Tempus and he realized he had only a few more minutes until his next class. He washed up his head and hands, put on a glamour so the scratches and blood-red lightning scar looked normal again, and went to class. One thing was certain, he was running out of time.

**xXxXxXx**

The next few weeks were some of the most trying in Harry's life. Severus used every trick he knew and still could not find Crouch. Dumbledore was gone more and more often, fighting with the Ministry to keep them from canceling the tournament. Harry got very little sleep due to stressing over Crouch and Voldemort. He spent hours practicing his shielding and offensive spells, and in the middle of June was finally able to master the Animagus Transfiguration.

Neville, Severus, Sirius, and Remus were the only witnesses. Like his brother, Harry went to the Shrieking Shack. Thankfully it all went smoothly and the transfiguration was successful. Afterwards, he was so exhausted that he slept ten hours. Severus had to carry him back to the castle.

The day before the task, everyone in Hogwarts finished their end of term exams. Harry was glad it was over, but he felt more relief over banishing the last of the poison into Dumbledore's goblet. He had also canceled the pre-task interview with Melissa Silverwood. He told her that he was busy preparing and didn't want to distract himself right now. She agreed completely, but she made him promise to give her an interview after the tournament was over.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry sat on the blue couch, staring into the fire. Severus sat across from him, Neville sat next to him. He looked pale and his face was damp with nervous sweat. They were both silent and worried for the thin fourteen-year-old. In a few hours, the task would begin.

Harry sneered, hating the tension and the silence. "I'm going to go for a walk," he said softly, standing.

"Harry…" Severus stood. His face was paler than normal and his lanky hair hung in greasy locks around his face. His eyes were like dark holes in his face and Harry felt himself smiling softly, seeing clearly how much Severus cared about him. "I want your promise. I know you accepted the magical contract by participating in the first task and cannot possibly refuse to participate now, but you must return if it gets dangerous. I do not care if the other champions are at risk."

"I will not sacrifice myself," Harry gave his word. He reached out and touched the man's forearm. "I'm just going to take a look around. If I see anything suspicious, I'll definitely call in the Calvary."

"Good luck, Shadow," Neville said warmly, coming up behind his brother and hugging him tight.

"Thanks." Harry squeezed him back briefly before pulling away and slipping out into the dungeon halls.

He didn't know where he was going. He was just walking, but somehow he wasn't surprised when he found himself making his way up to the third floor. Draco and he hadn't said they'd meet tonight, but Harry wasn't surprised to find the blond in his customary place, leaning casually against the sink that led to the Chamber. Harry smiled at his friend, and Draco saluted.

"I had a feeling you would eventually wander up here.”

"Did you?" Harry leaned against the sink across from him, mimicking his pose.

"Mmmm." Draco straightened and his face became serious. "Feeling nervous?"

"Not really.” Harry shrugged. "But I should get at least a few hours sleep."

"Shadow…" Draco called as Harry turned to leave. "Good luck."

**xXxXxXx**

Saturday morning the whole school was buzzing with anticipation. Students would pause and stare at him, they even followed him to the library. Neville, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and the twins walked around and behind him, making sure no one bothered him with questions. Harry felt like bursting into laugher, imaging himself the leader of some strange gang.

It got worse as time passed. Harry saw several girls looking flushed and giggling breathlessly as he made his way to lunch. It was like they couldn't wait to see someone torn limb-from-limb. The Hufflepuffs were especially rowdy. Unlike their normal behavior, they catcalled and shouted insults at Gryffindor. Ravenclaws, normally calm and quiet, were talking loudly, making predictions, bets, and arguing. Slytherin was sitting back and enjoying the show, hassling Gryffindors when they could.

The Great Hall ceiling was so blue it looked painted. There wasn't a single white cloud. Harry squinted his eyes behind his glasses and scowled down at his plate, now knowing why Viktor glared at everyone all the time. This was madness! He already had a migraine and he wasn't halfway through the meal. When he noticed Professor McGonagall approaching, he sighed deeply with relief.

"Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after lunch," she said stiffly. "Your families are invited to watch the final task and you are given this time to greet them. The Headmaster wants you to make an appearance." She gave him no time to reply as she continued on down the table.

"He wouldn't have…" Harry said faintly, staring blindly after her.

"I'm sure the Dursleys aren't here," Neville quickly reassured. He put a hand on his brother's shoulder and Harry flinched away. Blushing, Neville quickly tried to calm him. "They hate magic! They'd rather die than come here!"

"True." Harry shook himself and stood. "I might as well get this over with. See you after the task, brother."

"Good luck, Harry!" Ginny enthused.

"We both bet on you!" the twins cheered.

"You'll do fine. Just relax. You know all you need to," Hermione said tearfully.

"Good luck, mate," Ron seriously offered.

Harry managed a quick smile at all of them before making his way over to the side chamber. He was the last champion there. The room was filled with people. He spotted Cedric with two adults, a man and woman. They were talking excitedly and the seventh year Hufflepuff was flushed and happy. Viktor was also talking to an older man and woman. He was speaking in rapid Bulgarian, and the two stared at the Seeker rapt. On the other side of the room, Fleur was jabbering away in French to a woman. Fleur's little sister was holding her hand. The little girl waved when she spotted Harry and the woman smiled warmly, gesturing him over.

Harry looked around swiftly for a means to escape and grinned when he spotted Remus and a shaggy black dog in the farthest, most shadowed corner. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked in a whisper, kneeling to pet the enthusiastic mutt. 

He had to admit Sirius looked much better now that Remus had been around to take care of him. His fur was thicker and softer and there was something more peaceful in his eyes. Remus, on the other hand, looked a bit worse for wear. He was thinner, his clothes were worn and wrinkled, and his face was lined with tension.

"Dumbledore allowed me to come and this monster insisted on tagging along.” Remus smiled, pulling Harry up and hugging him. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Harry answered as he eased out of the embrace. "Did you hear about Neville? He's dating Ginny now."

"Really?" Remus' eyes sparkled. "That's wonderful news."

"Yeah. It took some getting used to, but now she's part of the group so to speak." Harry shrugged and looked down as Padfoot nibbled on his fingers. He grimaced and pulled his hand away. "I'm not edible.”

"Do you have any plans for the maze?" Remus asked anxiously.

"Shoot first, ask questions later?" Harry said cheekily.

Padfoot huffed and wagged his tail while Remus smiled indulgently. "Well, if you get into any trouble…"

"Yes, I know," Harry assured him. "I've already gotten the speech from Severus."

"Good," Remus smiled, but his eyes drifted to something behind Harry and the teen turned to see Cedric approaching.

"Harry, this is my father, Amos Diggory," he introduced, a faint blush of embarrassment on his cheeks.

"There you are, are you?" Amos said with a stiff tone. He looked Harry up and down carefully, reminding Harry of the night at the World Cup when the ridiculous man vigorously questioned Winky and made wild accusations. "Bet you're not feeling quite as full of yourself now Cedric's caught you up on points, are you?"

Padfoot growled, his rough black fur bristling around his neck. Remus placed a hand on the large dog's head and smiled. "Hello, Amos. I bet you are as proud of your son as I am proud of Harry."

"Yes," Amos said and puffed out his chest. "I am very proud of my boy!"

"Come on, Dad," Cedric said a bit desperately. "I want you to meet the others."

"Very well.” Amos frowned down at Harry. "But I think it was ill done of you, Harry, to allow Skeeter to make you out to be the only Hogwarts champion. Ill done indeed."

"Rita Skeeter goes out of her way to cause trouble, Amos!" Remus finally snapped, eyes flashing. "I would have thought you'd know that, working at the Ministry!"

The man looked about to say something unfortunate, but Mrs. Diggory came up and put a small hand on her husband's arm. Cedric smiled at her thankfully and she winked. Amos blustered a bit, not saying anything more, and allowed himself to be led away. Harry turned to look at Remus and they shared a grin. Sirius was too busy growling to notice.

"Let's go to the kitchens," the older wizard suggested. "We have a couple hours until the tournament starts and no one will find us there."

Sirius barked happily, obviously agreeing with this plan. Harry sighed and gestured for them to lead the way. He had wanted to go to the library, but he suspected that no matter what he did he wouldn't get any peace. The kitchens were as good a place as any to hide out in.

**xXxXxXx**

Harry immediately noticed Minister Fudge was in Crouch's place at the judges' table when he entered the Great Hall for dinner. Apparently dinner was to be a feast and the champions were to sit alone at a table in front of the room while their families were at a long table off to the side of the four House tables.

Harry felt a bit like a zoo specimen. All of Hogwarts and the foreign students were staring at them, rating their expressions and weighing how much they were eating. Harry sat stiffly, staring straight ahead and talked to no one. In fact, only Cedric and Fleur were talking at their table. Finally, when the ceiling faded from blue to a dusky purple, Dumbledore stood and raised his hands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the Third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now?"

Everyone burst into loud cheering as the four teenagers followed the portly official out of the Great Hall. Bagman looked jovial, but there was a tightness to his eyes that had Harry frowning at him as the man blustered and jabbered at them. Harry wasn't left to think about it long, however. His attention was immediately grabbed by the Pitch once it came into view.

The hedges had grown at least twenty feet and looked like a huge green wall looming above them. Strange sounds emanated from the maze, screeches and snapping sounds. Bagman had them stand at the only gap in the hedge. He stared at them, grinning, while the champions waited in awkward silence. After a few minutes, Dumbledore led the school and the rest of the spectators into the stands that were presiding over both sides of the maze.

"Well, good luck all of you!" Bagman said as he left them to join the other judges.

The five judges - Karkaroff, Maxime, Fudge, Bagman, and Dumbledore - took their place on a raised platform, along with Hogwarts' teachers. Slowly, the stage lifted high into the air so that those on it would have a view of the happenings inside the maze. Harry was thinking about using them as an orientation point when he noticed a strange mist covered the top of the maze. It would probably keep those inside from seeing anything outside of it, but what really made Harry anxious was that the mist would also blur the spectators' view. If he were to need help, he couldn't count on anyone noticing.

The stands were almost full now. The excited voices and stamping feet of many children and teens filled the field with a dull rumble. The first stars were starting to come out and bright torches burst into flame in a large circle around the maze. Harry doubted any of their light would seep through the mist. Looking into the maze revealed a dark and creepy alley.

Four Hogwarts teachers approached the champions: Flitwick, Moody, Hagrid, and McGonagall. The Transfiguration teacher stepped forward and bowed to the four champions. "We are going to be patrolling the outside of the maze," she explained. "If you get into difficulty and wish to be rescued, send red sparks into the air. One of us will come and get you. Understand?"

Harry felt himself relaxing a bit at this and the four champions nodded. McGonagall waved her wand at the judges, signaling they were ready. Bagman waved his wand back and the four teachers separated to take their posts surrounding the maze. 

"Ladies and gentlemen," he boomed, obviously under Sonorous, "the Third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School! In second place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place, with sixty-three points - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

The wild cheers and applause coming from the stands sent birds from the Forbidden forest fluttering into the darkening sky. Harry looked around at the other champions. All of them, even Viktor, looked a bit ill. Harry grit his teeth. Whoever thought of starting this damn tournament up again should be shot, he thought darkly to himself.

"On the count of three, Cedric and Harry will enter the maze. Five minutes later, Viktor will follow. Five minutes after that, Fleur will enter. Good luck, Champions!" Bagman lifted his wand high into the air, the point glowing a bright blue. "One…" the wand came swinging down and went back up. "Two…" down and up. "Three!" he shouted, slashing down violently, and the crowd screamed excitedly as both Harry and Cedric entered the maze.

As soon as Harry crossed the threshold, the sound of the crowd and the light from the torches were muted. He shivered, thinking it was like being underwater. The thought of drowning made him go cold all over. Cedric shot him a worried look before heading down the dark alley. Harry followed slowly. Nothing moved; they couldn't hear anything nearby. Of course, that wasn't exactly encouraging since they _knew_ something was in here with them.

"You should go right; I'll go left," Cedric said as they reached a fork in the path. Just then Bagman blew his whistle again. Viktor had entered the maze.

"We should stick together," Harry argued, his green eyes staring seriously up at the Hufflepuff.

“Look." Cedric frowned. "I want to try and win this. Go your own way."

"Fine," he sneered with contempt. "Whatever you think is best."

Cedric shook his head and began jogging down the left path, leaving Harry behind.

Sighing, Harry continued on. He knew there was no point in waiting for Viktor to catch up to him. The Bulgarian was even more determined to win than Cedric was, but he didn't jog; he walked carefully. There was no way he was going to run into a spell-trap or creature without being prepared. Briefly he considered sending up red sparks and just getting out of this, but he wasn't quite ready to quit. Something was going on and he needed to find out as much as he could and it wasn't like he was in danger yet.

Bagman's third whistle was so quiet that Harry almost missed it. He lifted his wand higher, a Lumos revealing a few more inches of the path. Still there was nothing. Every second that passed drew Harry tighter and tighter. He came to three more intersections. At each one he paused, but could see nothing different down any of the paths. So he cast the Four Corners spell that revealed the cardinal direction of the caster's choice. He knew that from where they started, the Cup was to the northwest, and he chose the paths that looked like they would take him in that direction.

"Tempus," he whispered.

9:00pm, the gold numbers told him. Harry bit his lip pensively. He'd been in the maze for half-an-hour now. He'd run into no creatures, not even a dead end. There was no sign of the other champions, either. He was seriously considering calling out to see if he'd get an answer, but he was afraid that would draw some of the creatures toward him.

"Ten more minutes," he muttered, eyes piercing the darkness ahead of him. "Then I'm out of here."

Of course that was when he heard something. Cursing to himself silently - he knew he should have stayed silent! - Harry spun around and crouched, his wand steady. He ended the Lumos, not wanting to let anything see him. The rustling sounds got louder and now he could hear panting and running footsteps. Light was spilling out of the alley he had just come from.

Harry was pretty sure it was a champion, but there were tons of creatures that could mimic an ally as well as tons of illusion spells to seduce you into believing you were safe as you walked toward your death. Therefore, Harry was still very suspicious when Cedric ran into Harry's path, his wand lighting his way.

"Run!" Cedric cried. His brown eyes were wild and his face was pale. He didn't even slow as he quickly closed the distance between them. "Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts! They're huge!" the teen gasped and ran past.

Harry stared after him before shrugging and following, but Cedric wasn't playing around and Harry lost him to the maze as the older teen ran in mindless panic. Alone again Harry scowled. This was getting ridiculous. He turned a corner and his light fell on a cloaked figure gliding toward him. Cold swept over Harry and he staggered backward with a gasp of surprise. Half-a-second later his instincts kicked in and he bellowed "Expecto Patronum!" at the top of his lungs.

The silver stag erupted from his wand and galloped toward the Dementor with its head lowered, ready to impale the creature on its sharp horns. The cloaked figure stumbled backward and fell on its butt. The stag came to a halt and looked so befuddled that Harry laughed. His eyes narrowed, however, when his laugh made the creature shimmer.

"Riddikulus!" Harry sneered.

There was a loud crack and the boggart exploded in a wisp of smoke. The silver stag snorted and tossed its head before fading from sight. Harry smiled and continued on. Really… a boggart and Blast-Ended Skrewts? He began to think this task wasn't really that difficult. It was more a test of nerves than skill. All the creatures would probably be easy to beat, but only if the wizard or witch wasn't panicking. Feeling more confident but still advancing carefully, Harry continued on, moving northwest as best as he could.

Left… right… left again… Twice he found himself facing dead ends and had to backtrack. It was now going on nine thirty. He turned a corner and found himself facing a sheet of golden light. Harry frowned, worrying at his lip. It was a spell of some kind… A ward… The name was on the tip of his tongue…

The Reversal Ward. It could be triggered to turn the person around, have them walk back the way they had come while they thought they were moving forward. Or it could be triggered to make the perception of up and down switch, usually freezing the victim in place with fear of falling until they were caught. Harry stepped through the golden spell confidently. He didn't know the counter spell to this particular ward, but he knew how to break it once inside of it.

Everything flipped upside down, and Harry realized that theory and experience were worlds apart.

He was hanging from the ground, his hair falling toward the sky that spread out below him like a gigantic black hole. Even his glasses were slipping off his face and Harry caught them at the last moment with his free hand. His heart raced in his chest and he couldn't catch his breath. He shook with fear and would have closed his eyes, but he couldn't look away from the yawning chasm of emptiness.

Vertigo hit him hard and he screamed hoarsely, certain he was falling. He dropped to his knees, covered in sweat, his hands digging desperately into the grass and earth that he hung from. His wand! His glasses! He had dropped them! Harry gasped, sobs rising in his throat as he forced his eyes back open. He couldn't see them; they must have fallen into the nothingness. He'd never see them again! How was he going to send off red sparks now? The stars were blurry now, making them appear to be moving and Harry thought he would be sick.

And then the most amazing thing happened. Out of nowhere and without even thinking about it, Harry began breathing as Severus taught him to do whenever he was distressed. Slowly, in and out, through mouth and then nose; all of his awareness slowly was drawn inward. His fear left his trembling arms and legs, the sweat cooled on his face.

"All I have to do to break the ward is move. Take one single step," Harry told himself calmly. "One step and I'm free."

It sounded simple, but just thinking about it made the terror come rushing back. Harry forced himself to calm, concentrating on his breathing. He hung there for what felt like hours before he stood. He had to fight the panic attack that followed. He was shaking again and crying softly, but he managed to pull his foot away from the sheltering earth with a desperate little cry and take a single step.

Immediately the world righted itself. Harry collapsed to his hands and knees, shaking and crying in relief. He looked around and found his wand and glasses lying innocently next to him. He snatched them both up. Panting, he turned to stare at the curtain of gold now behind him. He shivered convulsively and hurried away from it. He took the first side path he could and just huddled there for a few minutes.

When he was steady again, he lifted his wand to shoot out red sparks. It was pointless to stay. There was no way he could help the other champions when they weren't around for him to help and he wasn't learning anything new either. He really didn't care about the stupid Cup, so he was done.

A scream ripped through the air. Harry jumped to his feet and ran silently but quickly toward the sound. He came to an intersection and stopped, carefully looking around the corner before committing. There at the end, Fleur lay unconscious, her wand several feet from her limp hand. A humongous Blast-Ended Skrewt stood over her and Harry could only stare dumbly. Cedric hadn't been exaggerating; the thing was enormous! Ten feet long, it looked more like a giant scorpion than anything. Its long sting was curled over its back. Its thick armor glinted in the light from Harry's wand, but no matter how huge Harry had raised this species and knew it's weakness.

He ran forward, ducking under the jet of fire the screeching creature shot at him. He dove under it and pointed his wand at the vulnerable belly. "Stupefy!" he bellowed. The skrewt didn't even have time to make a sound. It just went limp. Harry was just barely able to roll out from under it before it collapsed. 

"Fleur?" he called, pulling himself to his feet.

He went to the girl's side and shook her shoulder, cataloging the injuries he could see. Her right hand and arm were burnt really badly, her wand was chard. Her face was smeared with dirt and her braided hair had come undone. He shook her again and she moaned, opening eyes glassy with pain.

"Arry?" she gasped.

“Yeah?”

"Ou ar' filt-y," she muttered, eyes closing again.

"You don't look much better.” He grinned and shot red spark high into the air. "Someone will come for you now."

She nodded, obviously unable to speak any longer. Harry squeezed her shoulder once before hurrying swiftly down the path and into another. He didn't want to be caught. Not just yet. Obviously, the judges couldn't see what was going on. He knew for certain that Fleur would have died if he hadn't been there. Dead, as in never returning, as in forever leaving behind a grieving mother and little sister. Harry hated this tournament with everything he had, and he wouldn't let it win. He wouldn't let it kill any of them.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry came to the sphinx. It was beautiful. A woman's head and face over a lion's body with great golden wings rising from her back. He stared up at her and gave a little smile. She blinked at him, her lips curling up at the corners.

"You are very near your goal. The quickest way is past me," she said in a deep, hoarse voice. "Answer my riddle correctly - I let you pass. Answer wrongly - I attack. Remain silent - I will let you walk away from me unscathed."

"Alright," Harry agreed.

The sphinx gave her three clues, ending with the creature was something he wouldn't want to kiss. Harry closed his eyes, thinking. The first clue could be many things: a spy, an agent. But the middle of middle… An 'i'? End of the end… A 'd'? A sound you make when thinking… 'ummm'? Or 'errr'? So what did he have… idum? ider? Spy or agent…

"Spider," Harry said confidently.

The sphinx smiled brightly, got up, and paced gracefully to the side. Harry bowed deeply before taking the path behind her. He went slowly, conserving his strength. He had been in this godforsaken maze for almost two hours now and he was beginning to get tired. It wasn't long, however, before he heard something that made him stop dead, eyes wide.

"What are you doing?" Cedric yelled. His voice was right next to Harry in the path one over. "What the hell d'you think you're doing?"

And then Viktor's voice shouted, "Crucio!"

The air was suddenly full of Cedric's screams. Harry raised his wand and yelled, "Reducto!" The hedge blew apart, but it began healing the hole almost as quickly. Harry dove through, the branches scraping along his arms and cheeks. He rolled, coming up and pointing his wand at the Seeker's back. Viktor was standing over the Hufflepuff and hadn't even turned at the sound of Harry's curse.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted and the Seeker fell unconscious.

Cedric gasped, arching off the ground. Tears made muddy tracks on his face and he sat up, trembling. Harry crouched at his side, trying to gauge the damage. The teen looked a bit worse for ware, but he was conscious and angry. That had to mean he'd be alright. Harry turned his attention to Viktor.

How could he do this? Harry knew the Seeker needed to win for his own personal reasons, but why the Cruciatus Curse? If he were caught, he'd go to Azkaban. Plus, that curse wouldn't stop Cedric in the long run. Why not just Stupefy the Hufflepuff and move on. It was a waste of time. Something wasn't right here, but just as he was moving to wake the Bulgarian Cedric cast red sparks into the sky. Harry looked up at him, eyes narrowed. Cedric didn't notice. He was glaring heatedly down at Viktor, his arms and hands still shaking pretty badly.

"Someone will come and collect him now," he said hoarsely. "If we left him like that, he'd end up dead. He deserves it, but…" Cedric shook his head and turned to Harry, offering the younger teen his hand. "Come on. The Cup should be close by. Let's get this over with."

"Something's not right. Viktor wouldn't…" Harry argued.

"I thought he was alright, too, Harry," Cedric snapped. When Harry still didn't move, he shrugged. "Fine. You stay and go with Krum. I'm going to find that damn Cup."

Harry was torn. He wanted to find out what was wrong with Krum, but Cedric was shaky and weak. He shouldn't go off on his own. Cursing under his breath, Harry got up and ran after the Hufflepuff. Cedric shot him a strained smile, but Harry only glared back. One thing was true, he was just as anxious to have all this over with as Cedric was.

They hurried through two more paths before turning the last corner. There at the end stood an alter with the glowing Triwizard Cup sitting proudly on top of it. The soft blue-white light lit up the small clearing. The two Hogwarts champions shared an awed glance before racing down to safety.

"Go on. Take it and lets get out of here," Harry said and gestured at the damn thing.

Cedric hesitated. "You saved me, Harry. You should take it."

"No," he answered flatly. "I don't want it. Take it and lets go."

"But…"

"Now, Cedric!" Harry yelled.

The Hufflepuff flinched back. He was dirty and sweaty, his jersey was torn in several places. Harry didn't look much better. He had scratches on his cheeks and forearms, dirt smudged across one cheek and his forehead. He was tired and hungry. They both just wanted this over with, so Cedric stepped forward and lifted the Cup.

"Now what?" Harry crossed his arms, huffing in frustration when nothing happened. "Maybe we should send off sparks?" 

He was looking down the path, so he didn't see Cedric's expression go slack or see the teen reach for him, but he turned, scowling unhappily, when Cedric put a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Wha-?"

His question was cut off by Cedric blankly saying, "Portus."

Harry opened his mouth to scream, his heart slamming against his rips as he tensed to fling himself away from the other champion, but it was too late. 

Cursing himself furiously, Harry was sucked toward the damn Cup and the world went spinning away. When they landed, Harry lashed out, sending Cedric flying several feet back. He stood, panting, his eyes wide as he looked around frantically. It was dark, but there was no mistaking the headstones rising out of the ground around them. They were in a graveyard.

"What happened?" Cedric asked, voice bewildered. "Where are we?"

Someone was coming. Harry dove behind a headstone and hunkered down, his wand clutched tightly in his sweaty hand. He had a feeling, a horrible feeling, that he knew who was coming. He looked down at his hand and saw his ring, the one that would take him to safety. Cedric was too far away to grab him, but Harry couldn't stay. Voldemort was almost here. No matter what Harry couldn't allow that monster to get his hands on him, so he smeared the ring with the blood from one of his cuts and was about to whisper the trigger spell when his scar erupted with a pain so great he couldn't think in words let alone say them.

Harry fell… and he was lost.

**xXxXxXx**

"What happened?" Cedric asked, still turning in place. "Where are we?"

Harry didn't answer. He turned to look for him and stared open-mouthed as the younger boy dove behind a headstone and out of sight. He called out to the Gryffindor, but instead of answering Cedric heard muffled whimpers. He took two steps forward before he heard someone quickly approaching. Relief flooded through his veins and he lifted his wand, casting a Lumos.

"Hey! Over here! We need help!" he called, as he moved around the headstone.

Harry was curled up on his side, both his hands pressed into his mouth. His eyes were squeezed shut, his face twisted with agony. Cedric's eyes went wide with horror when he saw the lightning scar split open and begin to bleed. He didn't know what to do.

"Someone help!" he yelled frantically.

A short, pudgy man with a balding head and beady eyes grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Cedric started babbling about being from Hogwarts and how they had grabbed the tournament Cup, which sent them here. The man ignored him, lifting Harry into his arms and walking further into the graveyard. Cedric followed anxiously, watching as his classmate gasped and sobbed, twisting in the man's arms.

"I don't know what happened," he said again, beginning to feel a bit faint.

The man put Harry down against one of the biggest headstones Cedric had ever seen. Harry thrashed, his eyes still closed, and a horrible whine of pain rose louder and louder from his throat. The man twirled his wand, muttering under his breath. Cedric's mouth fell open as silvery cords of rope wrapped around Harry's chest and stomach several times, strapping him to the headstone.

"What are you doing?" Cedric rushed forward, planning on releasing Harry, but the man turned and blasted him backward. He screamed as his back hit a headstone, stars of pain exploded behind his eyes.

"It is done, Master," the man simpered.

"Very good…"

Cedric shivered. The voice was so horrible that he wanted to hide. He noticed that Harry had stilled, the agony slowly leaving his tortured face. Whatever had been hurting him had stopped. Panting, Cedric got to his feet again and lifted his wand. He was beginning to understand that they had been captured. He had to get Harry out of here.

"Kill the spare, Wormtail."

"Avada Kedavra!" the man yelled without hesitation.

Panicked, frozen with horror, the seventeen-year-old even didn't dodge. He could only watch the sickly green light rush toward him. He fell without a sound, his eyes still open. Dead.

**xXxXxXx**

Boy stared, tears pouring endlessly from his tormented eyes. Slowly, he looked up at the man and knew he was going to kill him, too. He whimpered and shook, wishing desperately that he could be good for once and not need to be punished. 

The man turned away without so much as shouting at him, and Boy broke down into sobs of relief.

His relief shattered when fire blazed suddenly to life, revealing a large pot several feet away. The man lifted a bundle. Something moved inside and Boy screamed as a pale baby was dropped into the pot with a splash. No, not fire! It hurt and hurt and hurt. He screamed and wept, begging not to be cooked.

The man was still ignoring him and he forced himself to stop screaming. He didn't want to make the man madder. Maybe the man couldn't see him? Was he hidden? Boy hunched against the stone and tried desperately to be silent, but the fire was blazing and the water was boiling now. He was terrified.

He flinched when the man slashed his stick, but he wasn't hitting Boy with it. No, he made the ground explode up. Dirt rained down on them and a big bone came floating over. The man began yelling and he dropped the bone into the pot. Shouting again, the man lifted a large knife. Boy's mouth fell open in a silent scream of horror, remembering the pain of steel when it was slashing and stabbing through his skin, and muscle, and bone.

But the man didn't turn the knife against Boy's body. He pressed it to his own wrist, bracing his hand on the edge of the pot. Then the man screamed and put all his weight behind the blade, cutting his hand off completely.

Boy jerked, urine pooling under him. Oh… He was in _soooo_ much trouble. He was so _bad_. He had made the man hurt himself. He was a very bad boy… He shook his head slowly, eyes wide and horrified. His whole body was wracked in tremors and tears flooded his vision as the man, hissing and sobbing, approached with the bloody knife.

His froze, everything stopped. His whole body locked up with panic; his lungs stopped pulling in air; his heart stuttered in his chest. The man brought the knife down. Boy arched, a faint scream tearing through his tight throat as the knife slid down his arm from his elbow to his wrist.

**xXxXxXx**

Wormtail shuddered as he looked down at the small teen bound to the headstone. He had never seen someone so… _afraid_ and vulnerable. Harry's face was drenched with tears and his face was a mask of fear and pain. He didn't even look human anymore. He looked like a wild, terrified animal.

"I'm sorry…" the boy whimpered, gasping in wet sobs of air between almost every word. "Sorry… sorry… please… sorry… I'm sorry… don't hurt… don't… please… don't hurt… I'm sorry…"

Wormtail grit his teeth. His vision pulsed red and then black, and he was afraid he was going to faint. His hand… No, don't think about it!… He lifted the empty vial and filled it with the child's blood. Merlin, just shut up… He stood and almost fell. No… He had to finish. Fear kept him on his feet. The thought of failure made vomit rise in the back of his throat. He swallowed and hurried to the cauldron.

"Blood of the enemy…" - He couldn't breathe. Focus! - "…forcibly taken. You will…" - Shut up, stop crying! He couldn't think. Don't fail, can't fail, keep going! - "…resurrect your foe!"

Wormtail dropped the blood into the cauldron and fell backward, collapsing in on himself, curling around his missing hand as he wept. He had done it! He had finished! He wouldn't be punished anymore. He would be rewarded! He wished desperately Harry would SHUT UP!

**xXxXxXx**

Voldemort rose from the cauldron. The air smelled sweet, and the sound of sobbing terror and screaming pain greeted him. Pain and pleasure flashed along his nerves. He laughed loud and long, his bare feet once again pressing into soft earth. He opened his eyes and examined his body. His hands were like large, pale spiders; his long, white fingers caressed his own cold, clammy chest. He could see all his ribs, the long flat stomach, and thin legs.

With a small flex of magic, he summoned black robes and a mirror from his house. His head was hairless. He didn't even have eyebrows or eyelashes. But, oh, what wonderfully evil eyes! They were red as wet blood and slitted like a snakes. His tongue was thinner and longer than human, his ears were just holes on the side of his head. He was fearsome! He was awesome to behold, and he was back. He was alive!

Only now did he look around, dropping the mirror and sighing in bliss at the sound of it shattering. His eyes skimmed past the whimpering Wormtail and froze on his foe - his hated wretched foe. Triumph and lust spiked through his new heart and his tongue lashed out to lick his thin, bloodless lips.

Beautiful, beautiful sight: the horrid child was utterly broken. He cackled madly and yanked his pathetic servant up by the arm. He ripped the rat's sleeve free and dove his long nails into the mark he found there. Wormtail thrashed like a fish at the end of a line as the Dark Mark turned black, the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Voldemort watched his servant's pain, delighting in every twitch and cry of pain.

"How many will be brave enough to return?" he almost crooned, his mouth opening in a bloodthirsty grin. "And how many will be foolish enough to stay away?"

**xXxXxXx**

Severus's jaw ached from gritting his teeth so long. Two and a half hours he had been waiting. What was taking the bloody child so long? Delacour and Krum had already been found. Harry and Diggory were the last champions standing. Maxime and Karkaroff were both livid, suspecting foul play, but none of them could leave until the Task was over. They still had to vote.

His thoughts shattered, Harry forgotten, as his arm began to burn, the mark searing against his skin. He let out a loud gasp, taken completely off guard. Karkaroff actually cried out, his eyes wild and panicked, before leaping from the platform. The judges called out in shock and dismay, but Severus ignored them all as he moved to follow.

The Dark Lord was back. That meant Harry was most likely with the madman. He had to go; he had to protect Harry as much as he could. And if Harry wasn't there, he would bluff. Any intelligence he gained from going could be used to protect Harry in the future, but before he could jump someone grabbed his upper arm. He turned to look into Dumbledore's cold blue eyes and opened his mouth to scream. Too late! He hadn't reacted fast enough… He had hesitated… and the headmaster activated his portkey.

Severus was pulled from the platform and flung through space, the headmaster never letting go. He knew from that one glance into the man's eyes that Dumbledore didn't want him to go to Harry. The headmaster knew what was happening, and he wanted Harry to fight on his own. This was just another godforsaken test to Dumbledore; another way for Harry to get 'stronger'.

Severus convulsed with horror and rage. He _wouldn't allow_ Harry to be hurt. He _wouldn't allow_ a fourteen-year-old child to suffer under the Dark Lord's sadistic care. The horror of Severus's past as a Death Eater flashed before his eyes. He imagined his Harry being seeped in that abject evil and his whole being fought back. An enormous wave of power spiked from his core. The portkey twisted, gave a huge jerk, and dropped them a little short of its destination.

The two wizards fell almost fifteen feet to the top of the Astronomy Tower. Severus tried to stand, but he couldn't make it past his hands and knees. His head was spinning and he had to breathe deeply to keep from vomiting. Disgust rose to choke him as he realized where the headmaster had tried to transport him. Deep underground, at the bottom of the Astronomy Tower, there was a prison cell in which the use of magic was impossible.

Severus flew to his feet, despite his weakness, rage twisting his face. He looked demented; his black robes flaring around his legs, flapping like wings in the wind; his greasy hair lashed around his head, slapping his cheeks. Dumbledore looked just as formidable as he stood unyieldingly before his pupil. His long white hair and his bright robes were now sinister in the dark.

"Why are you doing this?" Severus rasped hatefully. "He's just a child!"

"He is more than a child, my boy," Dumbledore answered. His eyes were cold and hard. "You know that as well as I do. He must be prepared for the future. I am merely doing what I must. There was a time when you knew that, Severus."

"The Dark Lord has your precious weapon!" Severus roared. "Do you think he will SURVIVE?"

"Harry is stronger than you give him credit for," Dumbledore scolded, staring evenly over his half-moon glasses. "Voldemort has been a spirit for a decade. He will be weak. Harry will hold out against him." His expression softened with compassion as he tried to soothe the former spy, "I don't plan on allowing Harry to die. He is needed. If he's not back in an hour, I will retrieve him."

"An hour?" Severus gasped, horrified. "You're mad!"

"Don't do this," Dumbledore warned, pulling himself to his full height. Power cackled around him threateningly. "You will not win."

"Look at yourself, Albus!" For the first time ever, he stood up against the old wizard's might. Severus braced his feet, took up a dueling stance, and flung the brutal truth at the man he had once respected. "Look at what you've _done_! You're an advocate of child abuse! You have deliberately imperiled a child's physical and mental wellbeing, and you _continue_ to do so!"

"I've done what I've had to for the world," Dumbledore said sadly. "I don't expect anyone to understand the decisions I've had to make, but look at Harry, look at what I've created! How can you tell me I'm wrong? He is exactly what the world needs!"

"What you have done to Harry is reprehensible. You are using him, as you used me and everyone else around you," Severus snarled, his eyes burning with hate and fury. "I won't allow you to continue in this madness."

A spell flashed over his shoulder. Severus didn't need to look to know the headmaster had locked the door back down into the tower. Severus bared his teeth in a vicious grin and fired the strongest blasting curse he knew in retaliation. He knew this was futile. Dumbledore was a stronger wizard and couldn't be outsmarted, but Severus had to fight this battle. He had to fight for Harry. Even if he were to lose.

**xXxXxXx**

Draco's gray eyes took in the disturbance on the judge's platform. He knew something was happening, something had gone wrong, and he knew in his heart that Shadow was in trouble. He maneuvered through the crowd, trying to get closer. He was halfway there when a Sixth-year Ravenclaw practically screamed in his ear. A cutting insult almost flew from his tongue, but he swallowed it as he saw where she was pointing.

Dark clouds were spiraling around the top of the Astronomy Tower. Lightning flickered and slashed but didn't strike. In the bright seconds of light, Draco made out the colorful robes and white hair of the headmaster and a figure in black. Spells splashed and cut through the air. They were dueling, and no one who was at all sensitive to Dark magic would think it was play. Draco could feel it: the dark intent of wizards bent on killing each other. 

Draco ran. He took every short cut he knew to get to the Astronomy Tower. He couldn't allow the headmaster to kill Shadow's mentor. Severus's death would crush his best friend, but more than that, Draco knew that the only reason Professor Snape would fight the headmaster so openly was to protect Shadow. If he allowed Severus to fall, then the headmaster would do something horrible to his friend. Draco had promised to help protect him from this threat, and he would not fail. _He would not!_

He slammed into the door that lead to the roof and cursed when he found it locked. He backed up and began every unlocking spell he knew. He began using Dark spells, none of the Light ones working. Thankfully, the second one made the lock shatter. Draco slammed the door open and had to throw himself flat, a blood reversal hex speeding over his head. He winced. That was not a pretty way to die. He lifted his head and his eyes went wide.

Severus was on the ground, still shooting curses and hexes, but his left leg was torn and twisted, blood was pooling around him. Dumbledore was approaching slowly like grim death. He had a white spell-shield before him. Severus’s curses ricocheted off it crazily. Dumbledore incanted something Draco had never heard before. Severus screamed, a hoarse grating sound, but he didn't lower his wand. Blood spilled from his eyes like tears and began to fall from his nose. 

Panting, shaking, Draco raised his wand.

"Forgive me, Severus. I have failed you," Dumbledore said sadly. "I thought I could guide you to the Light. I thought I could protect you from the Darkness. I was wrong." He lifted his wand level with the snarling man's eyes. "Go in peace, my boy."

"Release the bolt of Zeus!" Draco bellowed. He stood, feet braced, his blond hair whipping around his face, his eyes wide and bright with fear, his face pale, but the pink bolt of light struck from his steady wand and hit the headmaster squarely in the chest.

Dumbledore collapsed instantly. His wand flew from his hand as he began to convulse, choking noises rising from his mouth as his spittle began to foam over his lips. Draco watched, horrified as the old man's eyes rolled violently in his head. Skin was scraped from his hands and face as the headmaster scraped them roughly across the stone floor. 

Suddenly, the horrific view was cut off by black robes. Severus stood on one leg and shook the teenager hard. "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" he bellowed. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Vetch poison…" Draco gasped, feeling numb and sick. Was it even possible to feel numb and sick at the same time? "With basilisk venom…"

"Basilisk…" Severus whispered horrified. He spun around, heart rocketing in his chest. "Avada Kedavra!"

The evil green light hit the old, broken man. Dumbledore’s body twitched for several seconds more before finally stilling. Severus cast quick cleaning spells - banishing the vomit, blood, and sweet smelling sweat - but it wasn't enough. The headmaster's skin was a yellow green. Strange bruising from his violent convulsions was already beginning to show. It was obvious something besides the Killing Curse happened to him.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked faintly as Severus levitated the body.

"Saving you and Harry from Azkaban," Severus spat and released his spell. Dumbledore's body fell from the Astronomy Tower, falling three hundred feet before slamming into the ground.

"Wha..?" Draco groaned, definitely feeling ill. He was going to puke.

"You STUPID boy!" he bellowed. "Didn't you think there would be an _investigation_? They would have found out rather quickly that the headmaster was poisoned! And when they found out basilisk venom was used, don't you think someone would remember _one had been loose here two years ago?_ And there is only ONE person in this school who can reach the bloody basilisk! You as good as _signed Harry's name_ to a confession!"

Draco said nothing. He felt like he were dreaming. His teacher's face was streaked with blood and his eyes were flashing with fury. He didn't look human. He was more like some grim ghoul, lost and wandering the earth… Draco shuddered and wrapped his arms around his chest, trying valiantly to breathe. Why were his teeth chattering?

Severus fought to level his voice, taking a deep breath before continuing. He was losing the teen to shock. "Now any diagnostic spells will reveal a Killing Curse as the cause of death. The fall should eradicate the physical evidence of poison. Hopefully, no one will think to test his remains for chemical residue… Now… I need you to focus," Severus said softly yet remained as hard and cold as steel. "We need to get away from here. I need help reaching the Apparation boundary."

"You're going to Shadow now?" Draco asked faintly.

"Yes." Severus limped over and wrapped his arm around the teen's shoulders, making the Slytherin into a crutch. "Hurry, Draco. Every second you delay leaves him alone with the Dark Lord."

**xXxXxXx**

Voldemort perched on the large headstone Harry had been tied to. The boy had been released and lay, crumpled, at the foot of the headstone as the Dark Lord idly flicked his wand. Deep slashes opened up in the teen's skin and the last of his shredded clothes fell free of his bloodied body.

Boy flinched and sobbed weakly. Blows hit him. Invisible knives cut into his skin and his vision lurched as he spilled more pain and blood into the earth. He didn't know where the next blow would land, where the next searing blade would tear at his skin. He kept his strength poised, frantically healing as much as he could without erasing the marks on his body. He had learned long ago that healing the damage completely was bad. He had to leave some evidence to show he had been properly punished or his uncle would be mad.

The air shifted. The sound of Wormtail's whimpers and Boy's sobbing was disturbed by the sound of many robes swirling. Voldemort lifted his head, his eyes hard and piercing as he watched the masked and robed men approach him from the darkness. 

There was a strange pause as the Death Eaters uncertainly approached the Lord they thought long dead. Voldemort smiled his bloodless smile and waited for his pitiful followers to make a move. Then one of the robed figures dropped to their knees, head bowed so low their forehead brushed the ground. The others followed, sinking like a dark wave, the white masks winking out of view.

"Welcome, Death Eaters," he said gently; the crowed shivered. "Thirteen years… Thirteen years since last we met. Yet you answer my call as though it were yesterday… We are still united under the Dark Mark, then… Or are we?"

Voldemort rose to his feet, stepped gracefully over the broken child, and stalked through the gathering of his robed followers. Nagini, looking larger and more monstrous in the uncertain light, slithered in his wake. Her tongue flicked out and she tasted all the kneeling, shaking Death Eaters. Voldemort laughed, eyes wide with excitement.

" _Yesss, my sssweet…"_ Voldemort half-hissed, half-spoke. "We smell guilt, my dear servants. I see you all, whole and healthy… And look! Even more are coming as I speak…. I ask myself, why? Why did this band of wizards never come to the aid of their master, to whom they swore eternal loyalty?"

No one spoke, another shudder spreading among those kneeling. Wormtail found the strength to get to his knees. He looked up at his master, but Voldemort turned away from him pointedly and the craven man said not a word. Voldemort moved back to the headstone, retaking his seat as if it were a throne.

"I answer myself," he said coldly, his voice carrying to the furthest ear, "they must have believed me broken, they thought I was gone. They slipped back among my enemies, and they pleaded innocence, and ignorance, and bewitchment." His voice began to lose its painfully indifferent edge. It dipped and rose, lengthening almost into a hiss. "But how could they have believed I would not rise again? They, who know the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death? They, who had seen proofs of the immensity of my power in the times when I was mightier than any wizard living?"

He leapt from the headstone again and the Death Eaters flinched back. Voldemort smiled and knelt. He wrapped his long fingers around the small throat of the teen at his feet and stood, lifting Harry with him. Green eyes, uncovered by glass, his glasses long broken, stared into the face of his tormenter.

"I say to myself," Voldemort whispered, caressing the face of the shaking teen, "perhaps they believed a still greater power could exist, one that could vanquish even Lord Voldemort. _That an infant could destroy their master!_ "

The gathered followers stirred and murmured their denials. Voldemort flung Harry at them and they parted, allowing the child to fall to the ground among them. Boy cried out in pain before scrambling to his knees, covering his head and rocking, begging loudly between shuddering sobs not to be hurt.

"This is the child you all feared. This is your Boy-Who-Lived!" Voldemort yelled. "Tell me, Avery, are you afraid of him now?"

"Master!" a masked man near Harry shrieked. "Master, please forgive me! Forgive us all!"

" _Crucio_!" Voldemort hissed, his wand slashing out.

Five of the Death Eaters fell with Avery, howling in pain. Harry flung his hands over his ears, screaming with them, green eyes wide with uncomprehending horror. Voldemort laughed, the sound high and insane.

"Enough," Voldemort sneered. "Stand. All of you stand!"

They did so uneasily. The ones recovering from the Cruciatus Curse having to lean on their neighbors. Voldemort stalked into their midst, stopping when he towered over the rocking teen. He smiled as he saw Harry chewing on his fingers, trying so valiantly to be silent. He flung his wand out and the teen arched off the ground, screaming hoarsely, his naked body convulsing.

"This is the Light's only Savior, and he is nothing but a bug!" Voldemort snapped his other hand out. All thirteen masks flew into his hand. He held them up and they burst into flame. "I will not forget your failings, my beloved servants. Never think I will. But you are mine. You are all mine again. This time _you will do better_!" He gestured at Harry, who was shaking his head desperately, tears cleaning blood from his cheeks. A weak hand reached out to him, pleading for mercy. "Show me you have not lost your touch. Show me your disgust for this pathetic child!"

**xXxXxXx**

Boy had never known such pain, such fear. Pale faces with cold, unforgiving eyes bore down at him in a tight circle. There was no escape. They fed from his pain, were deaf to his pleas. His Uncle hurt him, punished him, but he always stopped. 

There was no end to this pain. 

There was only never-ending agony.

He couldn't feel his body and 

his power thrashed madly around him, hurting him 

as much as the monsters 

as it tried to fix 

the immense damage. He _became_  

pain, a world of madness. 

Everywhere, everlasting, 

flashing heat of broken shards 

crushing his body, until there was nothing else. 

Forever; always, 

broken blood of boiling torment 

searing the bones of insanity 

through his shattered skin.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus Apparated and found himself in a graveyard. He staggered, almost falling, but it had nothing to do with his bad leg. The screams… Merlin, he'd never heard anything like it. It lasted too long. When they stopped, they echoed in the air, lingered and clung to the shadows and fluttered weakly there, threatening to come to life at any wrong move.

He opened his eyes, not remembering shutting them. He moved toward the crowd of gathered Death Eaters, hands trembling, terrified of what he'd find when he reached them. Then he saw his Master. The Dark Lord was monstrous, his features disfigured and horrible. He shuddered and forced himself to keep moving forward.

The Death Eaters let him pass. None of them even glanced his way. They all stared forward, still as statues. His breath coming faster and faster as fear pumped through his heart, he was almost to the front when he saw his child. The Dark Lord cradled the teen in his arms - a sick parody of care and concern.

Harry was naked, and his body… It was… Merlin, it… Severus closed his eyes against the sight, but he could still see it splayed on the back of his eyelids. 

Harry's body was… a canvas of pain and torture… No patch of flesh was the same. There were… segments of burnt or missing skin… of exposed organs… of bones broken and puncturing through soft tissue… Blood was spattered everywhere, it filled the air with its heavy scent… But even worse than that, Harry's eyes were wide and empty of all higher consciousness. They were mad, sparkling feverishly with insanity as they darted around wildly. His lips were pulled off his teeth and he grunted with effort and pain after the end of every panting breath. There wasn't a human mind behind those eyes. There was nothing at all salvageable.

"Amazing child," Voldemort crooned into his victim's suffering ears. "Even still you work to heal yourself." He lifted his eyes and let them rake over his followers. "Remember this, my darlings. Lord Voldemort is capable of mercy."

Wormtail flinched away as Voldemort approached him and laid the broken child on the slightly raised ground he had occupied. He looked away from Harry, turning his whole body so that he practically sat with his back to the writhing mess that had once been a fourteen-year-old boy.

Voldemort raised his wand, his eyes starving and hot with lust as he pointed it at his nemesis…. Severus knew what was coming, but he didn't move. He couldn't. He was struck dumb, immobile with horror. He was too late…. The Death Eaters all held their breath. Wormtail began to weep…. Licking his lips, Voldemort cast the Killing Curse, caressing the words as one would say the name of their lover…

"… _Avada Kedavra…."_

The green light slashed through the air. Harry arched, his broken body tensing as the green spell-light enfolded his broken body. It pulsed and cackled around him, and his head thrashed back and forth until it tipped backward. A horrible scream of rage tore from his already battered throat. His head snapped back down, green eyes blazing with the light of the Killing Curse. His black hair lifted and stood almost on end, and, as the scream stretched impossibly on, the curse was slowly absorbed - the wounds on the tortured body healing that little bit faster.

The Death Eaters flinched back. Panicked cries broke the tableau. Voldemort hissed as he cast dark curse after dark curse only for Harry to absorb them all. Then the scream stopped only to be replaced by cold laughter. The Death Eater ranks broke and they began to flee. Small bloodied hands lifted, fingers crooked and tensed, bent like claws, and they slashed out.

The running Death Eaters screeched in agony and fell, blood spraying the air. Severus flung himself to the ground. He instantly recognized Demon. The only way to survive the unending wrath of the alter was to not be a target. If Demon didn't notice you, there was a chance you would walk away from the destruction.

Voldemort didn't know this, however, and he lifted his wand and placed himself in the direct path of the demented demon. "You are on the brink of collapse and you have very little power left to you by now," he hissed. His face lit up with unholy glee as he took a brave step forward. "I am going to prove my power by killing you, here and now. There is no Dumbledore to help you, no mother to die for you. You will die tonight by my hand, Harry Potter!"

Power matching that of Dumbledore's - but dark, so dark - shimmered around the monstrous form of Lord Voldemort and it was fresh and barely used. The Death Eaters stilled and aborted their escape, watching the scene unfold avidly. Severus crawled backward, slowly, never looking away from Demon. They were fools to think the Dark Lord could protect them from this… _madness_ inside of Harry.

The green light finished soaking into Harry’s shredded and beaten body. Demon lifted his head. His eyes still flashed and his lips pulled off bloodied teeth. All of the internal damage had finished healing, but the surface damage was great and had barely been touched. Demon didn't notice. He could move now, his body wasn't in danger of dying, and that was all that mattered to him.

"You." Demon spoke his first word. His voice was hoarse and smoky. It lashed out at Voldemort with pure hatred and disgust. "You…Will PAY!" The last word was roared. Demon lashed out, sending extremely heavy headstones flying through the air.

Voldemort dodged and shouted, _"Excrucio dolor morsus!"_

Demon didn't try to avoid it. He walked forward, walked right into the spell, his face twisted with a horrific smile. Roaring in pain and fury when it hit, he staggered, but he pulled himself upright and continued moving toward his target.

Voldemort's eyes widened and quickly cast again. _"Contego! Eradico manus manus!"_

The first spell was swallowed in the wave of magic that poured from Demon's hands. The second ricocheted and hit an unsuspecting Death Eater. The woman shrieked as both her hands burst into flame. In seconds, all that was left were two charred stumps. Demon cackled his cold laugh, hungry and delighted. He kept walking forward, unstoppable and relentless.

" _Adflicto affligo!"_

Demon slapped the spell away. He bared his teeth, howling, as he suddenly leapt. Voldemort tried to dodge, but two powerful fists slammed into his chest. He flew backward. Eyes wide with pain. He landed hard on his back, the fall accompanied by the sharp cracks of his ribs breaking. Demon stood above him, staring down at Voldemort, looking like something that had crawled out of hell.

Voldemort couldn't believe it. Furious, confused, and hurt, he prepared to Apparate. Then the dark magic hit him. It slammed into him like a tsunami. His teeth rattled in his head, his new body bowed backward. On the edge of the red and black flashes of pain and darkness, a grating, hate-filled voice reached him.

"You created me… You brought me into this miserable life…” The voice paused and the clawing, cloying power pulled back enough for him to see burning green eyes inches from his face. "I _hate_ you," Demon said softly and slammed his will forward.

With a pained scream, Voldemort disintegrated, completely destroyed. His killer went rigid, the Dark Lord's death sending shockwaves through Demon's mind, but as the cold darkness sucked him under once more, he laughed with deep satisfaction.

**xXxXxXx**

Severus pulled himself to his feet. The storm that had built over the graveyard finally burst as the duel ended, sending rain and lightning lashing to the earth. The Death Eaters that were still alive had long ago fled. Fighting the gusting wind, dragging his left leg behind him, he made his way across the broken graves. The backlash of power from the duel had ripped up coffins and shattered headstones, making the terrain treacherous. Severus bowed his head and kept moving.

He crested a small hill and looked down to see Harry sprawled boneless and unconscious. There was no sign of the Dark Lord's body. Severus hadn't expected there to be. He staggered down to his charge. A brief flash of light revealed the horrendous damage still remaining to Harry's body. He knelt, hunching over the teen to keep the cold rain off him, and lifted Harry's cold hand.

The teen never took off his ring or bracelet for any reason and Severus rejoiced in that habit. With trembling hands, he put Harry's hand over one of the many gaping wounds across the teen's abdomen, coating the ring in blood. Holding tight to his charge, Severus stripped off his outer robe and wrapped it around the injured teen tightly. He tapped his wand on Harry's chest and gold threads appeared and spelled out short instructions.

"Take me home," he said firmly.

The portkey activated and Harry disappeared, soon to arrive in his bed back at their home. Severus wanted to go with him, but there was much to do. Omi, Lupin, and Black would be able to care for Harry. He had to act _now_ if he were going to try and limit the damage this night had caused.

Gathering all the strength he could, he went back to the Diggory boy. He grabbed the Cup and began reversing the portkey spell. When the Cup was ready, he activated it, carrying Diggory back to Hogwarts and his parents.

**xXxXxXx**

The chaos at Hogwarts was extreme. He set off a mass panic when he arrived with Cedric Diggory's dead body, one leg bloodied and lamed. Minister Fudge and the Diggorys were screaming for Severus's death. Students were crying and demanding to know what was happening, demanded to be allowed to go home. Before he could say anything to the mob forming around him, a Seventh-year came running up screaming about the headmaster's body at the bottom of the tower.

Thankfully Minerva McGonagall and the other teachers stepped up and took charge. They got the children into their common rooms with the parents that had shown up to watch the Third Task locked in with them to keep the children calm. All the remaining adults marched into the Great Hall where Severus was placed in a chair and questioned thoroughly while Madam Pomfrey did what she could for his leg.

Severus launched into his story - able to lie under Veritaserum due to a combination of a slight immunity and being a Master Occlumens. This is what he told them: 

He and Dumbledore saw Karkaroff fleeing and went after him. They ended up on the Astronomy Tower. A magical trap had been set up before time. Both he and the headmaster were incapacitated. Karkaroff killed Dumbledore, but let Severus live because he believed Severus was still true to the Dark Lord. Going along with him in hopes of gaining information for the Light Side, Severus went with him to the graveyard where the Dark Lord had risen again by the use of some unknown potion and ritual. By the time he got there, Diggory was already dead and Harry Potter was dueling the Dark Lord. Their wands connected - since they were brother wands - and there was a huge explosion. When he could see again, the Dark Lord and Harry were gone. The Death Eaters fled while Severus went back to Diggory and used the Cup to bring them back to Hogwarts.

(Severus had decided not to mention the Dark Lord had been defeated again. It would make Harry into a hero, and the boy would be uncomfortable with that. It also would make the population rabid to find him, and Harry would _hate_ that. Besides, there _were_ Death Eaters on the loose. It wouldn't hurt for the Wizarding World to be on alert.)

Of course, there was a lot of suspicion about his story. Fudge and the Diggorys especially didn't believe him and wanted him arrested immediately for the death of Albus Dumbledore, Cedric Diggory, and the kidnapping of Harry Potter. Severus began formulating escape plans when, to his surprise, Minerva stood up for him. She made everyone calm down and reminded them that Severus was on the side of Light. The Minister wasn't happy with this, but he agreed to wait until things at Hogwarts calmed down a bit before doing anything rash.

It was dawn by this point and everyone from outside Hogwarts left, returning to their homes, taking their children with them. Minerva made all the teachers search the castle for clues as to who had put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire and made the Triwizard Cup a portkey. Headmistress Maxime and the Durmstrang students were surprisingly helpful.

By sunset, the real Mad-Eye Moody was found. It was discovered that Viktor Krum was under the Imperius Curse. Hagrid even uncovered Crouch Sr.'s body in his pumpkin patch (Fang had dug it up). Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle were being drawn together. It was two weeks before Severus could slip away and head home.

**Chapter end**


	44. Epilogue

**A/N:** Okay…. I sweated and sweated over this, so I'm expecting reviews! _(grins)_

I hoped you liked Broken Mind Fractured Soul. I worked really hard on it and I really love the story. Please let me know what you think of it as a whole!

I hope you will all join me in the Sequel: SHADOWS WITHIN THE LIGHT.

Thanks for reading and sticking with me for so long.

**Epilogue**

Severus sat at the dining room table, sipping tea and reading the morning news. He had slept almost thirteen hours the night before. For the first time in a long time, he felt rested, so when Sirius came barging into the room shouting accusations and threats, he merely lowered his paper and stared at the mutt with a disdainful eye.

"Well, Snape? What's your excuse this time?" Sirius snarled. He had all his weight on his hands pressed flat to the table, leaning toward Severus's face with blue eyes blazing and his mouth a vicious sneer.

"Is his body refusing treatment?" Severus asked calmly, crossing his legs under the table and leaning back. His hair was damp from being freshly washed and hung almost to his shoulders. His black button-down shirt still smelled of the drying spells.

"He isn't responding! He lays there staring and doesn't react to anything we say or do! I think it's obviously a step back in his recovery! What did you say to him, Snape? He's a sick child, you stupid bastard! How could you just…"

"Enough." Severus stood. 

Sirius flung himself backward, his wand snapping up, ready to defend himself. 

Severus sneered at him. He wouldn't have projected an attack were he about to indulge in one. "Harry has merely retreated behind his Occlumency shields. I believe he is barricading himself from his two remaining alters, which is a necessary move for his mental health. He is well, so stop blathering like a maniac and go find a more productive use of your time. My own is precious."

Sirius spluttered, shocked. He watched Severus leave the room and sighed, leaning on the table again. Pocketing his wand, he shoved his hand into his thick wavy black hair. He felt stronger than he had since he had escaped prison, but seeing Harry so… shredded, chunks of flesh missing, dozens of bones fractured, almost fatal blood loss… He felt his recently regained mental stability trembling at the edges. His precious godson was tortured almost to death, and the all too familiar panic and terror bubbled under his skin. He felt about ready to snap.

"Can I fetch you some breakfast, sir?" Omi asked softly. He didn't much like Sirius Black, but he was a guest in his Master's home and was helping Master Harry, so he would do his duty and do it well.

Sirius jumped in surprise and faced the little elf. "Ah… No… No, thank you, Omi." He didn't wait for a response and hurried back upstairs.

Remus was at his place next to Harry's bedside, having just finished applying ointments and potions to the battered skin and re-bandaging him. Sirius felt guilty for leaving, for not witnessing his godson's suffering, but it had just been too much this morning with Harry staring up at the ceiling like he were dead inside.

"You didn't do anything stupid, did you, Siri?" Remus asked evenly, taking his seat again and putting the thick tomb of medi-wizardy into his lap in preparation of reading it. That was his eighth such book so far. Sirius suspected that by now Remus was as knowledgeable as Pomfrey, just lacking in experience - though after Remus finished healing Harry, he would have plenty of it.

Hanging his head, Sirius came over to stand by the bedside. "Maybe… But I got information out of him. He said Harry's just doing Occlumency and setting up barriers to protect himself from his alters."

"I suspected something like that," Remus answered easily. His brown eyes warm and exasperated as he watched his best friend. "I would have told you so if you had asked before running from the room in a snit."

Sirius flushed and looked up at his friend. Remus's light brown hair was even more gray at the sides than it had been last summer and his face was too thin, but he still looked kind and capable. For the millionth time, Sirius felt envy, wishing he had Remus's strength of character.

Seeing some of this in his face, Remus stood and pulled Sirius into a hug. "It will be all right, Siri. Harry is healing. It will just take some time."

"I can't lose him, Moony," Sirius gasped, clutching to his friend, tears burning down his pale cheeks.

"You won't. Severus and I are not going to let that happen. You have to trust us."

Sirius knew he normally would snort at the idea of Snivellus doing all he could for Harry, but he couldn't pretend any longer. Severus was a genius at potions and he loved Harry as if he were his own. If Sirius were going to be honest with himself, Harry looked to Severus as a father. Sirius wouldn't be able to break that and he wasn't sure he wanted to. He had lost his chance to be Harry's father. As much as that hurt, losing Harry altogether would hurt worse.

**-End-**

**A/N:** If you liked this story, please continue on to the sequel. I hope you enjoy the journey!

Shadows Within the Light: After 4th year, Harry was left barely alive after being tortured by Voldemort in the graveyard. Fortunately, he has a safe place to heal with Severus. He’s unwilling to continue being Harry Potter and becomes Shadow Snape instead. He still has difficult battles ahead, Voldemort has not yet been defeated and he still has two other personalities sleeping in his mind, but he also discovers love in the form of his best friend Draco Malfoy.


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